2006
Director's Cut Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel
Rosso & Bianco winery
|
Zinfandel (Red)
Dry Creek Valley
$23.00/bottle
To ensure that we get the maximum amount of color and flavor from our Zinfandel grapes, we use a variety of techniques, which include fermentation in open-top fermenters for eight days with several punch downs a day. We also blend in small amounts of Petite Sirah for added structure. The wine was aged in French oak barrels, which adds nuances of vanilla as well as a wonderful toasted spice character. Intense aromas of cherry, black currant, and rum raisin are followed by deep, rich flavors of sweet strawberry jam and briary blackberries.
14 months in French oak: 50% new, 50% 1-2 years old; blend: 91% Zinfandel, 9% Petite Sirah; 14.56% alcohol.
Varietals
| Percent Varietal | Vineyard, Appellation |
|---|---|
| 91% Zinfandel | |
| 9% Petite Sirah |
Vintage Notes
The 2006 vintage was extremely long. We started picking white grapes on August 29th and did not complete the harvest of red grapes until the first of November. Most striking, however, was that nature never forced our hand to pickâwe experienced no rain whatsoever during the months of September and October, so we were able to let the fruit hang on the vine as long as needed to develop full maturity, excellent tannin structure, and ripe, juicy flavors.
Reviews
Hot hot heat
This wine has aromas of cedar and spice that leads to flavors of cherries and smoke. The alcohol is a little prominent for me and the finish is very hot, but this wine started to really show nicely after about an hour of decanting.