Winemaker's Notes
This is a case of 6 of the Old & Mature and 6 of the Shale Terrace. Limits and allocation for Shale Terrace Futures apply. Futures price: $310 per case to be released April 2024
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.
2022 Scherrer Vineyard ‘Shale Terrace’ Zinfandel Futures
Typical nectarine and red raspberry with a tad of rhubarb. There’s nice non-fruit of fresh loam and sage. Initially slightly saline, it lays out evenly on the palate and progresses gently and steadily to a graceful finish of hibiscus and roasted cherries. This paired really well with smoked venison and cherry sausage made by Peter Brown, the chef who has done most of our open house food these last years.
Similar to the Old & Mature Vines bottling, lower growth due to the sparse rainfall the previous year caused there to be bit less of this limited bottling then we’ve seen last few years. Because this is a limited production wine, we must manage what we’re able to offer on futures. We have honored peoples’ past support of this wine and give those that purchased Shale in the past (even just a bottle) ‘first crack’ and orders received by August 2 will be processed first in the order they are received while supplies last. Those who have not bought Shale before may place an order which will be placed on the ‘wish list’. Those orders will be filled in the order they are received if there are futures still available after the first-crack August 2 deadline.
And not to fear, we also hold back a bit of the Shale from futures so we will have some available at release next April so those not in the ‘first-crack’ offering can have a few bottles. About 140 cases to be produced. Estimated release price: $42 per bottle.
