Winemaker's Notes
2025 Scherrer Vineyard Zinfandel Futures Half & Half Split Case
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: $320 per case to be released April 2027
2025 Scherrer Vineyard ‘Old & Mature Vines’ Zinfandel Futures
As I wrote last year, the name ‘Old & Mature Vines’ means it is made from old vines planted by my grandfather in 1912 as well as mature vines he, my dad and I planted in the 1970’s. Nearly 100% Zinfandel, harvested at a modest ripeness level, we have demonstrated for decades that it is strikingly elegant and age worthy. And that isn’t as easy as it sounds. Zinfandel grape clusters are inherently variable. Each Zinfandel grape cluster has a range of development, from green under ripe berries throughout the full ripeness spectrum all the way to raisins. Wineries that don’t truly embrace this grape’s proclivity will wait for the last few green and light red berries to turn dark red. Unfortunately, that means the rest of the cluster moves even more towards raisins which leads to over ripe wines without the necessary oxygen appetite to last in bottle for very long, let alone age well. Fortunately, I’ve grown up with Zinfandel and I have a vision of how to work with it to let it quietly sing it’s own sweet, harmonious song.
On the nose is our typical nexus of fresh loam, macerated bramble berries (Himalaya blackberry and raspberry), plums and uncooked bread dough. The mouth reflects this and adds a bit of hibiscus tea leading to a very long, graceful finish. As I mentioned last year, this is what Zinfandel can be: Multi-faceted and mouth-watering, food-friendly and age-worthy. Estimated release price: $45 per bottle. Futures price: $320 per case to be released April 2027.
2025 Scherrer Vineyard ‘Shale Terrace’ Zinfandel Futures
There is very little clay and lots of fractured shale in this small section of our vineyard planted in the early 1970’s which yields a wine of particular delicacy and unique profile. The tide and flow of growth is rather different than the rest of the vineyard due to the different way water and other nutrients get to the plant: They receive more of a generous supply upfront when growing earlier in the season and less generous later on. This affects berry size, tannin levels and flavors produced: Structurally, there are larger berries and softer tannins as a result.
Flavor-wise, while most Zinfandels find themselves centered around bramble-fruit, this is more centered around Stone fruits and cherry. It shows more herbal notes like rose hips than the OMV which grows on soils higher in clay content. Structurally more akin to Pinot Noir, it is often accused of being that variety in blind tastings.
The 2025 shows some of those rose hips, along with some floral plum blossom notes and stone fruit. With some time in the glass, it gives some hints of something akin to the stuff I remember seeing splashed onto the grown men’s faces at the barber shop when I was a kid long ago, (whatever that mysterious stuff was) with its minty and spicy notes. On the mouth at this early stage it shows lively structure that carries the echoes of plum and nectarine with it. Very much centered on its serious framework, it glides along like a curling stone on the ice, quite certain in its destination regardless of any thought of frenetic sweeping of the ice along the way. Mouth-watering on the finish, it folds back upon itself showing some of that plummy facet in the end.
Because this is a small portion of the vineyard, there is never very much. We have honored peoples’ past support of this wine and give those that purchased any Shale in the past ‘first crack’ and orders received by July 31 will be processed first in the order they are received while the futures allocation lasts. 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 still futures still available after the first-crack July 31 deadline.
But if you are not on ‘first crack’ for this, do not 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 should one fall in love with this rare example of Zinfandel. Only about 110 cases will be produced. Release price $45 /bottle. Futures price: $320 per case to be released April 2027