Winemaker Notes
The 2012 has full black cherry and blackberry fruit aromas with a beautiful balance and a big, sumptuous, and juicy mouth feel. It also presents complex spicy aromas, with a nice creamy texture derived from the 10 months time it receives in, only, French oak barrels. This wine has become our popular, but serious cru Beaujolais-styled/Rioja crianza-styled Zinfandel that has found its way on to many great restaurant lists across North America where it is often listed “by the glass ”. It is consistently rated one of the top Zinfandels in its class and one of the best value Zinfandels available. Although drinkable now, it gains complexity with bottle age.
Unapologetically bold, spice-driven and jammy, Zinfandel has secured its title as the darling of California vintners by adapting well to the state's diverse microclimates and landscapes. Born in Croatia, it later made its way to southern Italy where it was named Primitivo. Fortunately, the imperial nursery of Vienna catalogued specimens of the vine, and it later made its way to New England in 1829. Parading the true American spirit, Zinfandel found a new home in California during the Gold Rush of 1849. Somm Secret—California's ancient vines of Zinfandel are those that survived the neglect of Prohibition; today these vines produce the most concentrated, ethereal and complex examples.
