2022 Stone Ranch Zinfandel

Deep purple hues with enticing aromas of black, red and blue fruits. A viscous and weighty entry with flavors of black cherries, ripe melon, cassis, and strawberry preserves. The wine is nicely balanced with fruit, tannin, acidity and subtle toasted oak. TG (1/24)

A dry, chilly winter reduced yields. A mild summer was ripening the grapes when extreme heat on Labor Day forced an immediate harvest. The resulting wine shows beautiful fruit concentration and firm acidity. Fourteen months of barrel aging has added complexity. This appealing wine drinks nicely now and will develop over the next eight years. TG (2/24)

Stone Ranch is located on the western edge of the Alexander Valley. It was purchased from George Stone in the 1950’s by Everett Lampson who began to plant vineyards and replace the prunes and pears that were previously grown there. Jim Furlong married Everett’s granddaughter and the Furlong family now farms the land. The property covers both sides of the 101 to the east and west. To the west of the freeway the vineyards are on slopes and planted to petite sirah and cabernet sauvignon. East of the freeway, zinfandel vineyards are located on deeper valley floor soil, pleasanton gravelly loam soil series. The old vines were planted in 1964 and Block 3A planted in 1988.

Rainfall: 25 inches (below normal)
Bloom: Early May
Weather: 2022 was the third year of drought. Thankfully, we received Spring rains that helped the vines. These same rains caused shatter in our zinfandel, reducing their crop. Two heat spells pushed the vines to another early harvest.

Harvest Dates: 22 August – 10 September
Grapes: Average Brix 25.2˚
TA: 6.5 g/L
pH: 3.63
Fermentation: Natural primary and natural secondary (malolactic) fermentations.
Barrels: Air-dried American oak barrels, 68% Appalachia, 20% Missouri, 12% Virginia (22% new, 28% one year old, 25% two years old, and 25% three-plus years old).
Aging: Eighteen months in barrel

Sustainably farmed, hand-harvested grapes; destemmed and crushed; fermented on the native yeasts, followed by full malolactic on the naturally occurring bacteria; oak from barrel aging; minimum effective sulfur for this wine (35 ppm at crush; 123 ppm over the course of aging); pad filtered at bottling. In keeping with our philosophy of minimal intervention, this is the sum of our actions.

See all food pairing recipes we have created specifically for this wine.