2013 Hooker Creek Zinfandel

Aromas of blackberry, licorice, and cocoa. Medium to full bodied on the palate with plum fruit, balanced acidity, chalky tannins, and notes of olive and mint on the finish.

This is our first release from these one-hundred and twenty-seven year-old vines planted on a rocky, gentle slope along Hooker Creek in Sonoma Valley. Two parcels within the vineyard were harvested and fermented separately. Predominantly zinfandel, the wine is redolent of black fruits. Additional color and structure comes from the interplanted alicante and petite sirah. Enjoyable in its youth, this appealing wine shows well now, and will continue to develop over the next four to five years. JO (11/14)

This wine comes from old zinfandel vines planted along Hooker Creek north of the town of Glen Ellen in Sonoma Valley. These old vines were planted one hundred and twenty seven years ago on a part of the Agua Caliente Spanish Land grant purchased from General Vallejo by Joseph Hooker and William Sherman in 1854. Despite an ethically questionable life style, “Fighting Joe” Hooker went on to command the Army of the Potomac in 1863 as a major general. After losing the battle of Chancellorsville to a Confederate force under Robert E. Lee, half the size of his army, he was relieved of command. Today the vineyard is owned by Joel Peterson and goes by the name Bedrock.

Rainfall: 24.5 – 30 inches (below average)

Bloom: Mid May

Weather: Warm spring and early summer followed by a cooler weather that slowed ripening.

Harvest Dates: 11 September

Grapes: Average Brix 24.3˚

Fermentation: Full crush, floating cap. Pressed at nine days.

Barrels: 100% air-dried american oak barrels (20% new, 30% one and two years old, 25% three years old, 25% four years old.)

Aging: Thirteen months in barrel

Hand harvested grapes; destemmed and crushed; fermented on the native yeasts, followed by full malolactic on the naturally occurring malolactic bacteria; oak from barrel aging; minimum effective sulfur for this wine (35 ppm at crush, 325 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.

Average Rating: 91.0

No. of Tasting Notes: 45

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