Winemaker's Notes
The 2023 was about as ideal a growing season in the North Coast as one could ask for. We got a later start than in more recent years which put bloom time a little later in the spring when temperatures are more even and favorable for successful bloom in the vineyards. This also pushed harvest time back a few weeks when the possibility of heat spells right at harvest is much lower. This gives us more time to decide when to harvest, to actually get the work done in a timely manner, and it gives the plants ample time for great flavor development without pushing their physiology into overdrive. We can work with other situations for sure, and the wines are lovely. However, more sites and more producers can do well under these optimal conditions. The trend for 2023: Good flavors, bright acidity, good structural tannin profiles for the reds, etc. It’s hard to ask for more.
2023 Scherrer Vineyard ‘Old & Mature Vines’ Zinfandel Futures
For those new to us, this is our flagship wine made from vines planted by my grandfather in 1912 as well as vines he, my dad and I planted in the 1970’s, hence the name ‘Old & Mature Vines.’ The style is rather restrained for the variety and it is damn near 100% Zinfandel. Many old vineyards were interplanted with other varieties like Petite Sirah, Carignane, and more. These other varieties are later ripening, more tannic, darker fruited and can take the wine to a different place if they were a significant portion of the mix. Not better or worse, just different. Ours is not significantly influenced by these elements. The first vintage under our label was 1991, which I still have some of and to date, I’ve only opened 1 bottle that was past it’s window. These have aged well beyond my early expectations, by decades, actually. Now my expectations include a longer service life.
There’s one thing about the 2023 vintage that could catch a winemaker by surprise, it was the high level of malic (apple) acid in the ripe grape. Because of the cool season, and tasting the grapes along the way, it became apparent to me that there were going to be higher than average levels of malic acid. This would later ‘soften’ by 50% after being converted to the softer lactic (think milk) acid during maloloactic fermentation. Another way to think of it is why non-malolactic Chardonnays tend toward more apple notes while many lower acid versions, that still also undergo malolactic fermentation, have a buttery note. It’s more complicated than that, but you get the point. If I did not foresee this softening effect being more significant, we could have ended up in barrel with a wine at this point in time that seems rather ‘flat’. So, I was looking for a more tart situation than usual at harvest. I am thrilled as the wine has settled into a perfect spot post malolactic fermentation. The last cool growing season where this was similar was 2005. In Alexander Valley, 1991 was another one as was 1980. On the Mendocino Coast I saw it in 1985, where malic acid levels were even higher than tartaric acid (very rare, indeed). In those days I sent a lot of things out for laboratory analysis. Now with years of experience, I just pay attention to the growing season, the vines’ way of growing and taste the grapes and almost never send anything out for analysis. Seen that before and it’s far easier this way.
In this wine, there is a perfect juxtaposition of fruit and non-fruit aromas: Blackberry, red raspberry on one side with fresh loam and hibiscus tea on the other. The flavors by mouth follow aromas well with the overall balance riding that fine line between unctuous and juicy (that salivary response to a wine’s acidity). Structurally, this should age amazingly well. The tannic support is appropriate and set up to resolve at a rate in accord with flavor development over time in the bottle. About 620 cases to be produced. Estimated release price: $42 per bottle. Futures price: $310 per case to be released April 2025.
