Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
There is a strong but not overripe fruit character on the nose of this bottling from historic vines, with baked strawberry, plums and mulberry as well as a dusting of sweet clove. The palate is more lightly bodied than many Zins of the area and is also full of energy, showing bright and fresh red-fruit flavors and baking spice, eliciting elements not often seen from the grape these days.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2016 Zinfandel Dante Dusi Vineyard, made with 50% whole cluster, has a pale to medium ruby color and aromas of baked peaches, Italian plum, red cherry preserves, prosciutto, dust, tree bark and amaro with touches of dried flowers. Light to medium-bodied, it's delicate and pretty with spice and bitters accents and a long, lifted finish.
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.
Pacific ocean breezes enter through the gap for which it is named. The Templeton Gap District is characterized by cooler days and nights and is made of broad alluvial terraces with vineyards at elevations of 700 to 1,800 feet.