treborce VINEYARD, dry creek Valley

Nestled on a beautiful hilltop between Healdsburg and Dry Creek Valley sits the beautiful Treborce Vineyard at 800' above the valley floor. This is an acclaimed vineyard that produces 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 Treborce Vineyard Zinfandels showcase these properties, as well as dark blackberry aromas & flavors, with a peppery spiciness, good body and fine tanins.  Our Zinfandels are appreciated by both the ardent ZIN and CAB LOVER'S Palate!

grumpy's VINEYARD, rockpile

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." 

Our 2007 STATUS QUO Red Wine blend is the current beneficiary of this amazing Zinfandel.

DALLA GASPERINA VINEYARD, Rutherford

Our first Cabernet Sauvignon comes from the Dalla Gasperina Vineyard in Rutherford.  Planted on the east side of Highway 29, just south of Rutherford, this world class vineyard produces amazing fruit from the noted Rutherford Bench.  This vineyard consists of well-drained, gravelly soils, and has a mixture of vines ranging from 5 to 15 years old.  It's valley floor terroir yields classic cabernet characteristics including black cherry & Rutherford Dust for a beautiful and complex wine.  Our 2006 Cabernet will release during harvest of 2010!

morisoli-BORGES VINEYARD, Rutherford

In 2007, we added Cabernet Sauvignon from the renowned Morisoli-Borges Vineyard to our Cabernet Program.  Planted on the west side of Highway 29, just south of Rutherford, this world class vineyard produces amazing fruit from the noted Rutherford Bench.  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 10 to 25 years old.  It's valley floor terroir yields classic cabernet characteristics including black cherry, tobacco & dark chocolate for a beautiful and complex wine.  Our 2007 Cabernet was just bottled so look for its debut during Harvest of 2011!

BECKSTOFFER MELROSE RANCH VINEYARD, Rutherford

Our 2009 Sauvignon Blanc and Melange Blanc are sourced almost exclusively from the renowned Beckstoffer Melrose Ranch Vineyard.  Planted on the east side of Highway 29, just south of St. Helena, this world class vineyard produces amazing fruit from the noted Rutherford Bench.  This vineyard consists of well-drained, gravelly soils, and yields fruit-forward SB characteristics like ripe citrus, melon & tropical notes for a beautiful and complex wine.

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 with forward fruit flavors and spicy overtones.

Like the Phipps Family Cellars Zinfandel, many of the best Zins are in limited distribution and are available only through the wineries.