2021 Bedrock Zinfandel

Beautiful dark purple color with aromatics of ripe plum, cassis, black cherry, blueberry, purple flowers and pink taffy. A clean entry with medium body leads to a full structured mid-palate. Natural acidity balances the tannins to create a long and layered finish. TG (1/23)

After a dry, cold winter, warm spring temperatures led to an early budbreak and then vigorous vine growth. Limited water during the growing season restricted yields but the smaller crop concentrated flavors. The resulting wine is framed with dark, layered fruit and well-coated sumptuous tannins. This classic old vine zinfandel is enjoyable now and will develop fully over the next six to seven years. TG (1/23)

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 significantly smaller Confederate force under Robert E. Lee, he was relieved of command.

Rainfall: 14 inches (below normal)
Bloom: Early May
Weather: A dry winter and spring stressed the vines, limiting yields and concentrating flavors.

Harvest Dates: 7 September & 16 October
Grapes: Average Brix 25.8°
TA: 7.3 g/L
pH: 3.78
Fermentation: Grapes de-stemmed and crushed, pumped over a floating cap twice daily.
Barrels: 90% air-dried American and 10% French oak barrels (13% new, 5% one year old, 18% two years old, 64% three years old)
Aging: Eighteen months in barrel

Hand-harvested grapes fermented on the native yeasts, followed by full malolactic on the naturally occurring malolactic bacteria; minimum effective sulfur for this wine (35 ppm at crush, 141 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.