2006 Caboose Zinfandel

When Ed Nervo was growing up, the Northwestern Pacific had a whistle stop at the family winery; his lifelong love of railroads and farming intersected when he managed to pull an old caboose up the hill to the middle of the vineyard. This season, though delayed by a cold, wet spring, produced a good crop. Waiting to harvest, we sampled the vineyard repeatedly, finally picking in late September. The grapes were crushed into a submerged-cap fermentor; natural yeasts began primary fermentation within thirty-six hours, and finished by day seven. Extraction of color and tannin was immediate. Once malolactic was complete, the wine aged for fifteen months in air-dried american oak barrels. Quarterly rackings off the sediment allowed natural clarification. Twenty-five percent new oak lends exotic spice and accentuates sweetness. This opulent, full-bodied wine will continue to develop over the next five to seven years.

Average Rating: 88.9

No. of Tasting Notes: 74

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