treborce VINEYARD, dry creek

Nestled high in the heart of the Dry Creek Valley sits the beautiful hilltop Treborce Vineyard, an acclaimed vineyard producing ultra-premium fruit, from an appellation that has long been recognized for growing exceptional Zinfandel.  This fruit exhibits such classic and distinct characteristics of black cherry, lush boysenberry and dark raspberry, as well as the famed smoke and dark chocolate.  Our 2006 Treborce Vineyard Zinfandel showcases these, as well as dark blackberry aromas & flavors, with a peppery spiciness, good body and fine tanins.  Our 2006 vintage is our first vineyard designate, and is enticing to both the zin AND the cab lovers palate!

grumpy's VINEYARD, rockpile|DRY CREEK

The Rockpile region of Dry Creek Valley is synonymous with excellent quality when it comes to Zinfandel. Located on a hillside pushing out toward the Sonoma Coast, Grumpy's Vineyard features head-trained & spur pruned vines of the old world style.  It's rocky, timber soil allows for good drainage while it's elevation has critical climatic advantages. Sitting above the fog belt, Grumpy's grapes are cooled by the coastal breeze while basking in the sunshine.  The small crop from these old vines is super-concentrated and high in sugar. Thus, the wine produced from this vineyard includes intense red fruit characteristics of red raspberry & dried cherry, good acids for aging, deep color, & higher alcohol levels without tasting "hot."   While our Rockpile juice is still in barrel, it is sure to be a crowd pleaser! 

morisoli VINEYARD, Rutherford

Our first Cabernet Sauvignon comes from the renowned Morisoli Borges Vineyard.  Planted on the west side of Highway 29, just south of Rutherford, this world class vineyard produces amazing fruit from the noted Rutherford Bench, while lending itself to the spectacular views while driving upvalley.  Lying near the base of the Mayacama mountains, this vineyard consists of well-drained, gravelly soils, and has a melodic mixture of vines ranging from 5 to 15 years old.  It's valley floor terrior yields classic cabernet characteristics including black cherry, tobacco & dark chocolate for a beautiful and complex wine.  Although our 2006 Cabernet is still aging in barrel, look for its debut in 2010!

ZINFANDEL, the grape

The Zinfandel grape has been a cornerstone of the California viticulture scene since the mid-1800s. Wildly popular in the U.S., many consider Zinfandel the original "California Red." In fact, California is the largest grower of Zinfandel.

In California, Zinfandel is the #2 most-widely-planted red wine grape. The small, berry-like Zinfandel grape is tough to grow. Its clusters tighten up and ripen unevenly. That's why many winemakers wait until late in the fall to pick the grapes. The Zinfandel grape prefers warm valleys close to the coast. Zinfandel does extremely well in Dry Creek Valley, the hills of Napa & Sonoma, as well as Mendocino counties and Paso Robles further south.

Unlike other California grapevines, Zinfandel was able to withstand the disease, Phylloxera, which decimated California's grape industry for almost a quarter-of-a-century.  The Zinfandel grape typically makes solid red wines with good fruit and structure. It was a popular variety with home winemakers during the American prohibition era, as its thick skins allowed the grapes to ship without damage.  In the 1980’s, it became popular for the wine produced from it with forward fruit flavors and spicy overtones.