2003 Zinfandel Mancini Ranch

Bright fruit centering on blackberry and boysenberry pie. Medium bodied, slight spicy complexity, very little tannin, and quite refreshing. Although the alcohol is in excess of 15%, the bright acidity and excellent balance belie this fact. I think that it is a classic zinfandel that drinks well now but should continue to develop over the next several years for those who have patience. 311 cases bottled.

2003 Zinfandel Lone Redwood

Although this vineyard is younger than the Mancini Ranch (40-50 years old vs. greater than 80), and is 100% zinfandel (Mancini has a small scattering of other varietals which build spice into the wine early on), it nonetheless has a unique character all its own. (more...)

2002 Zinfandel, Mancini Ranch

We are exceedingly slow to release zinfandels. While that is a bit of a handicap (most of our restaurant accounts are asking when the 2005’s will be out), we do it for a very good reason. (more...)

2002 Zinfandel, Lone Redwood Ranch

We are exceedingly slow to release zinfandels. While that is a bit of a handicap (most of our restaurant accounts are asking when the 2005’s will be out), we do it for a very good reason. (more...)

2002 Sonoma County Zinfandel, Sonoma County

Although we won’t reveal the exact blend, it includes at least a little of all of our zinfandel vine­yards. When we harvest our fruit, and in particular zinfandel, we often pick the vineyards at differ­ent times in order to capture each section of each vineyard at peak maturity. (more...)

2002 Stellwagen Vineyard Zinfandel, Sonoma Valley

Some vintages, like 2000, pro­duce zinfandels that are easy to understand. They are all about rich primary fruit. Other vintages, like 2001 and 2002 are more clas­sic-plenty of fruit but in a more reserved, understated way. How­ever, when you spend some time with them you realize that they are the equal if not actually superior to their more flashy counterparts. (more...)

2004 Pinot Noir Great Oak

I recently gave a vineyard manager a tour of this site. His comment was that he could understand why I wanted fruit from this vineyard, but also commented that it would be an exceptionally expensive site to farm, which, of course, we are all too painfully aware of. (more...)

2004 Pinot Noir Trenton Estate

Before I replanted half of our vineyard in the mid-1990’s, the best wine each year was a composite blend of each of the three main blocks. Nothing has changed, except that while the younger vines came of age, the blend was of the old vines on the west and south sides of the vineyard. (more...)

2000 Syrah-Trenton Estate Vineyard

While I think it is a mistake often committed by winemakers, I have to admit that when making syrah I always think of the syrahs that are benchmarks for me: Jean-Louis Chave’s Hermitage Rouge and Thierry Allemand’s Cornas. They produce, in my opinion, if not the finest examples of syrah, then at least wines that should be on any list of the worlds great syrahs. (more...)