Winemaker's Notes
As it is further in the rear-view mirror, the 2021 vintage still looks like about an ideal season in most of our area. Despite the lower level of rainfall the previous winter, the vines looked good through the season and delivered nice, sound fruit with a high level of structure.
After racking the wine from barrels to the bottling tank, I find there’s a dark, brooding side to this that has come more to the forefront since August, when the very youthful fruity side was more prominent. There are nice dark fruits going on and some spiciness that portend good things with time. This has an impressive level of concentration, as if our 2014 and 1999 OMV vintages had a baby together. The texture is sufficiently thick to rise to the level of structure showing a bit of drought-type vintage concentration.
Distinctly claret-styled, there is a bit of black raspberry floating amid satsuma plum on the nose, counterbalanced by petrichor and redwood forest undertones to the aromas. While I guarantee there is practically no Petite Sirah or Carignane in this wine, the Zinfandel is definitely channeling some of those characteristics in a good way. This should be well-suited to more substantial table fare.
