2017 Guadagni Zinfandel

Aromas of blackberry, plum, and cocoa. Rich dark fruit on the palate, with round silky tannins and hint of white pepper on the finish. MB (7/19)

Extremely warm temperatures dominated the growing season. Fortunately, el Niño provided the moisture in the soil for the vines to withstand the heat. By early September the grapes were fully ripe. We picked the zinfandel September 4th, and the petite sirah on the 11th. After assemblage, the wine was moved to barrel where tannins have softened. Appealing now, this exemplary zinfandel will develop over six to seven years.

Owned and farmed by the Guadagni family for over fifty years, this vineyard grows in the rocky soils at the northern edge of the Dry Creek Valley. Planted primarily to zinfandel; petite sirah from an adjacent parcel was added this year for color and depth. We limited pump-overs to once daily and pressed after eight days of fermentation as color and tannin were plentiful.

Rainfall: 61.5 inches (above normal)
Bloom: Early May
Weather: A wet winter gave us much needed rain. Cool weather in the spring affected set across all varieties. Several heat spikes in late June, July and August saw temperatures over 105 degrees.

Harvest Dates: 4 & 11 September
Grapes: Average Brix 24.2˚
Fermentation: Grapes destemmed and crushed, pumped over a floating cap twice daily, pressed at ten days.
Barrels: 100% air-dried american oak barrels (20% new, 25% one year-old, 25% two years-old, and 30% three, four, and five years-old)
Aging: Ten months in barrel

Sustainably farmed, hand-harvested, grapes; destemmed and crushed; fermented on the native yeasts, followed by a full malolactic on the naturally occurring bacteria; oak from barrel aging; minimum effective sulfur for this wine (35 ppm at crush, 110 ppm during aging); pad filtered at bottling. In keeping with our philosophy of minimal intervention, this is the sum of our actions.

Zinfandel Chronicles: 93 Points “Dark purple in color. From century old vines in Dry Creek Valley. Glorious nose of red and black fruits, citrus and earth. Medium to full bodied with perfect acidity. Lush and bursting with fruits. Blackberry liqueur, raspberry and blood orange on the palate. The finish is long and supple. Delicious Zinfandel. Best over the next 2-4 years.” -Tom Lee (September 2020)

Wine & Spirits (August 2019): 92 Points (Best Buy) “A cool, zesty zin, this gets its deep purple-plum color from 15 percent petite sirah. Its red fruit lasts with a light tomato-skin spice that immediately brings food to mind, whether pasta pomodoro or anchovy pizza” – J.G.

Average Rating: 90.7

No. of Tasting Notes: 40

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