Zinfandel
The Hill, 2016

$ 40.00

A south-facing hillside, this parcel of Zinfandel was planted in the early 1970s at the Scherrer Vineyard. The soil is very ‘light’ and fluffy with little clay. It’s remarkable how vines that receive the full brunt of the sometimes violent sun in late summer can respond with such a gentle voice.

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Winemaker's Notes

This is the second vintage I have kept part of the vineyard separate and bottled on its own. It took me 20 years of making wine from it to understand how to approach this little section of vineyard that over the past 40+years I have helped plant, shot rabbits in as a kid (which we ate), run tractor through (when my dad lets me).

Frank Teldeschi brought budwood from one of his vineyards in Dry Creek Valley for this little section that we had planted rootstock on. All but two vines ‘took’ and Frank came back and rebudded them the next Spring. He would not give up. We were not fussy or aware of ‘clones’ of grape varieties back then and it all seemed sensible. I suspect that the clonal variation we have over the entire property interplays with the soil differences, giving us a wide palette from which to draw (and challenges in understanding the combinations that can take some of us decades to get a tiny handle on).

Plums, red raspberry, flowers, cherries and slight, cool herbal background notes. The mouth is both suave and energetic at the same time with a great expansion of flavor as it rolls across the palate. Interestingly, this site presents quite firm tannins prior to pressing and for several months afterward. Then it relaxes to this state and holds there. No wonder it took me so long to find a way to work with this parcel’s gifts. It’s a good thing I did not give up on it.

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Reviews

  1. Judi Scherrer

    VinousMay 2019

    Dark cherry, plum, chocolate, leather, spice and menthol meld in the 2016 Zinfandel Scherrer Vineyard The Hill. Pliant and generous in the glass, with terrific fruit density and textural resonance, the 2016 hits all the right notes. Silky, plush tannins add to the wine’s racy feel. The Hill is one of the highlights in this tasting. 93 points. Antonio Galloni

  2. Judi Scherrer

    Purely Domestic Wine ReportMay 2020
    The nose is herbal red berry, dusty and sappy red cherry. The palate is lean and bright red berry, herb and violet with a sleek mineral feel in the core. Drink 2021 – 2027. 94 Points. Doug Wilder

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