Winemaker's Notes
As I’ve said many times, this is the Zin that identifies as Pinot Noir. It is a singular expression of this variety that I have not seen in a bottle anywhere else. Pretty red fruits and a signature nectarine perfume greet the nose. There’s a slight strawberry-rhubarb thing as well and a graphite-like petrichor note that reminds me of using a pencil to shave off bits of graphite into the grooves of the ‘nut’ when replacing Martin D-28 guitar strings to help lubricate their movement for fine tuning each string. So, there’s a trace of cedar from the pencil, rosewood from the guitar body and Spruce from the top. By day 4 on an open sample bottle a note of sage arises. On the mouth, it shows a good cut of acidity like one would use rhubarb in a fruit dish to balance the sugary, fruity ‘rounds’ from the other components. While not a heavy-weight, there is appropriate persistence similar to the perfect house guest who stays just long enough to leave a fine impression and great memories that elicit many future visits.
Judi Scherrer –
Vinous – July 2024
The 2022 Zinfandel Scherrer Vineyard Shale Terrace offers an intriguing mix of strong mineral and savory notes that play the leading role here. Crush rocks, herbs, white pepper and rose petal notes are all nicely lifted. The Shale Terrace is a super-distinctive wine that offers a ton of complexity but less in the way of forward Zinfandel fruit. 92 Points – Antonio Galloni