Unti Vineyards Zinfandel 2015

Vintage 2015 Bottle Sizes 750ml Country USA Region California Appellation Dry Creek Valley Wine Type Red - Still Varietals 91% Zinfandel, 6% Petit Sarah, 3% Barbera Farming Organic Vineyard This Zinfandel comes primarily from their Primitivo-clone vineyard planted next to the winery. They favor the Primitivo-clone because it tends to produce berries that are smaller and with thicker skins, versus typical California Zinfandel selections. This leads to a richer wine with more tannin, which is characteristic of old-vine Zin. They clip the wing bunch off all of our Zinfandel vines to help minimize bunch rot and to concentrate flavors. Viticulture 2015 was the third consecutive drought year. Fruit set was so low that they did little-to-no crop thinning and the yield was still only 3 pounds per vine. 2015 featured a warm, dry growing season rendering an early harvest. A Labor Day Weekend heat wave led to them picking their Zinfandel earlier than almost any other vintage, on September 14th. They were so pleased with the quality of our Zinfandel that it comprises 91% of the blend, which is also higher than any previous vintage. Vinification The grapes were de-stemmed and gently pumped into stainless steel tanks using a peristaltic pump. Fermentation started naturally without inoculation after a five-day cold soak. They pump the must over twice daily. Upon dryness, the pomace is basket-pressed, blended with free run wine and transferred to French oak barrels. As usual, they blended Petite Sirah for color stability and tannic structure, and Barbera for acidity. Aging 11 months in French oak (23% new) Notes "If you like intense fruit, tannin, and acidity in a Zinfandel, 2015 was your kind of vintage. Our Zin is dark, full-bodied and it possesses the freshness and bright acidity that we feel is classic Dry Creek Zinfandel. This 2015 has a bit more tannin than normal and as such it should age nicely for 4 to 6 years. I love this wine as it is old school Dry Creek Valley, in the right way." – Mick Unti