Oltranti (Advance Tasting Program wine)
Vineyard
First RIDGE Oltranti: 2004
Location: Western
edge of Alexander Valley, north of Geyserville.
Soils: Gravelly clay
loam
Vines: Zinfandel, petite
sirah, carignane
Training: Head trained (no trellis), spur pruned.
Yields: 1-2.5 tons/acre
History
Niccolo and Flora Oltranti purchased the old Mazzoni Home Ranch in 1987. They set about restoring this historic property, working on the buildings (Nic is an engineer) and tending the surviving nineteenth-century vines. (Ridge has made Mazzoni Home Ranch from these old vines since 1996.) Once the old vines recovered, Nic and son Paul turned to the abandoned hillside vineyards above. Replanted to an old zinfandel field selection, these young vines have begun to produce the quality that seems inherent to this exceptional zinfandel site.
