Winemaker's Notes
The 2010 harvest had two notable sudden heat spells that marked the personality and quantity of the vintage according to the variety and location in Sonoma County. It was the stems of the Zinfandel that were most affected by the first spell and our family’s vineyard was not spared this tragedy. The second heat spell, right at ripeness, brought the work pace to a fevered pitch and many unusually long days strung together. We lost the majority of the crop and had to go to heroic measures with painfully selective harvesting at the vineyard and cluster–by–cluster sorting & surgery to make sure only the soundest fruit made it into the fermenter. The extra care was totally worth it. This vintage is a little more dark-fruited than usual — more like the 2000 vintage which is still developing nicely — but has a good bit of structure and welcome savory nuance to keep it well short of jammy. From a numbers standpoint, the low pH, structure and density bode well for our typical long, slow development in bottle. I’m really looking forward to watching this one over the years.
Judi Scherrer –
California Grapevine – April 2013
Medium to medium-dark purplish ruby; attractive, fragrant, spicy, cedary, dark cherry and berry fruit aroma; full body; rich, plush, pomegranate and blackberry fruit flavors with a creamy mouthfeel; full tannin; lingering aftertaste. Well focused and shows some elegance. Very highly recommended. 90 points. Nick Ponomareff
Judi Scherrer –
Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar – June 2014
Brilliant ruby. Smoky raspberry and roasted coffee aromas, with a floral nuance adding lift. Big, rich, ripe and sweet in the mouth, with mineral and peppery spice notes adding complexity to ripe red fruit flavors. A nervy spine of acidity adds focus to the finish, which leaves subtle herb and bitter cherry notes behind. In a savory style; Scherrer things that this will be best on the young side. 89 points. Josh Raynolds