Louis Martini Zinfandel 1996

A wet winter led the charge for the 1996 vintage, with the vines budding out about 2 weeks earlier than normal. May rains caused some shatter resulting in a 30% crop reduction on most varieties. A warm summer with a few heat spikes and then a cooling trend in September, stretched the season out allowing a long hang time with mature, flavorful fruit.

You guessed it. A big wine. Just look at the alcohol and you can see why we were trying to blend in a little fatness with the Napa Valley Petite Sirah and Dolcetto. I think it worked. 24 days skin contact gave a lot of meat to the mouth. The first crop of Zinfandel from our Monte Rosso Vineyard was a little deficit in acid but there was such a giant second crop, we picked it separately and brought the acid up. Aging in a combination of 30% barrels and the balance neutral upright tanks softened the wine and enhanced its round fatness. Rubenesque would be more appropriate.

Pungent ripe fruit leaps out of the glass with black raspberry, with plenty of briar and vanillin to butter up the bouquet. The flavors abound in the same fashion as the aromas, filling the mouth and finishing with just a twinge of warmth from the ample alcohol. BIG IS THE WORD! - Michael Martini, Winemaker