2016 Boatman Zinfandel

Blackberry and currant aromas, with notes of lavender and sage. Ripe raspberry and clove spice on the palate. Full bodied, with well-defined tannins and a long rich finish. MB (1/19)

Following an early bud break, these thirtyfive year old head trained vines set a modest crop. This is one of the few wines we produce from 100% zinfandel. The grapes were picked and fermented as separate parcels. We chose the Apple Tree and Front blocks for their depth of fruit, and Wiley’s Terrace to add structure. This fine zinfandel is approachable as a young wine and will develop fully over 5-7 years.

Tim Boatman’s grandparents, Emilia & Eugene Moretti, emigrated from the mountain town of San Pellegrinetto, Italy in the early 1900’s. In 1935, Emilia and Eugene were able to acquire this fifty acre ranch that sits in the hills on the border of Dry Creek Valley and Alexander Valley. Eugene used the property for wood cutting and when he passed away he left the property to Tim’s mother and uncle. Tim purchased the property from them in the mid-sixties, when he was only nineteen years old. In 1972, Tim Boatman planted fifteen acres of zinfandel on the steep hillsides that surround his house. The rocky, east-facing terraces are ideal for growing intense, concentrated fruit.

Rainfall: 32” (below normal)
Bloom: Mid-May with veraison by mid-July
Weather: A wet December and January helped ease the drought which emphatically ended in March. Cool weather in April reduced the crop a bit. Harvest started and finished in early September.

Harvest Dates: 6-8 September
Grapes: Average brix 27.1˚
Fermentation: Natural primary and natural secondary (malolactic) fermentations; seven vineyard blocks fermented separately. Pressed at twelve days
Barrels: 100% air-dried american oak barrels (10% new, 35% one and two years old, 55% three, four and five years old)
Aging: Twelve months in barrel

Sustainably farmed, hand-harvested Boatman Vineyard grapes; destemmed and crushed; fermented on the native yeasts, followed by full malolactic on the naturally-occurring bacteria; 1.4% water addition; oak from barrel aging; minimum effective sulfur for this wine (35 ppm at crush; 114 ppm over the course of aging); pad filtered at bottling. In keeping with our philosophy of minimal intervention, this is the sum of our actions.

Wine & Spirits (May 2019): 93 Points “Ridge introduced Boatman with the 2014 vintage. It grows on bush vines on steep east-facing terraces above Alexander Valley, planted by Tim Boatman in the 1970s. Maybe it’s the morning sun that instilled such a fresh-berry flavor in this wine – though you have to go through the tannins to get it. They are savory and intense, bringing along some high-toned spice, like fennel seeds and hibiscus. Dan Veit of the Malibu Beach Inn described the flavors as ‘concentrated raspberry membrillo.’ Hold onto it.” – J.G.

Average Rating: 90.5

No. of Tasting Notes: 47

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