Winemaker's Notes
The 2022 growing season was quite favorable for things harvested before Labor Day week, such as our Zinfandel. As usual, the wines have great verve and nerve, which I am quite excited about. Futures have been a great way for people to really understand the aging curve of our Zinfandels. For those new to us, our Zinfandel style is more restrained than the random bottle pulled off a shelf somewhere. Our Zins are a bit latent, but after a few years in bottle, the perfumes really come out. Not only do they hold up well, but they benefit from time in the bottle. We are revising the back label of the Old & Mature Vine bottling to denote a good window as 10 to 20 years after the vintage. After 30+ years, we have the data now to support that!
2022 Scherrer Vineyard ‘Old & Mature Vines’ Zinfandel Futures
Presenting much as the 2018 vintage did at this point from a rounds-angles standpoint [From the 2019 Summer newsletter on the 2018 OMV Zin: ‘Tannins are cloaked in the rounder parts of this wine, which is saying a lot because it is not at all an overripe-sappy-sweet-soda-pop construction at all! During the latter part of vinification where the fermented stuff was still stewing on skins awaiting a pressing decision, the angles due to tannins seemed VERY firm. They are still there, but my how they have integrated into the fabric of the wine, creating a gently firm kernel of structure anchoring the flavors.’
On the nose of the 2022, there is fresh fig and Santa Rosa plum, fresh blackberry and pomegranate. The wine rests comfortably on the mid palate without obtrusive tangents… just sailing along on its steady course. While subtlety is not a term normally used with Zinfandel, this wine has a subtle strength visible to those who stop and look.
Due to the lower growth the year prior due to sparse rainfall, which determines the number of grape clusters for the following season, only about 575 cases will be produced. Estimated release price: $42 per bottle.