2021 Demostene Ranch

Nose of cranberry, rose petal, strawberry, toasty oak and minerality. Medium-bodied with lively acidity and focused notes of black cherry, raspberry and espresso. SR (1/23)

Planted more than 100 years ago and tended by the Demostene family for three generations, this old-vine field blend differs from most, focusing only on zinfandel and carignane. These complementary varieties were co-fermented to adhere to the intention of the original farmers. Carignane brings bright acidity and zinfandel lends plentiful fruit. The result is an elegant wine that is delightful now and will continue to develop over eight years. SR (1/23)

Born in Italy, Manuel Demostene moved to Healdsburg in 1902 where he found work on Santo Botti’s ranch. Santo died the next year and in 1906 Manuel married his widow, Julia, taking possession of the ranch. Around the same time, Abele Ferrari arrived from Italy and purchased what is now known as the Healdsburg Machine Shop. In 1925, he purchased the run down Soda Rock Winery, refurbishing it after prohibition. Abele’s daughter, Rose, married Manuel’s son, Leo in 1936 and they later helped run Soda Rock while raising four children on the property. The couple bought the 113 acre Sausal Ranch in 1956 and continued to buy more nearby land for their two sons, Ed and David. This wine comes from vines planted over one hundred years ago on Ed’s original twenty-five acres. Ed, who passed away in 2015, taught his daughter, Leisa, everything he knows about growing grapes. Leisa and Ward continue the family legacy, giving special attention to that block of old vine zinfandel and carignane.

Rainfall: 14 inches (below normal)
Bloom: Early May
Weather: A dry winter and spring stressed the vines, limiting yields and concentrating flavors.

Harvest Dates: 1 & 2 September
Grapes: Average Brix 25.7˚
TA: 6.33 g/L
pH: 3.82
Fermentation: Grapes destemmed and crushed, pumped over a floating cap twice daily.
Barrels: 100% air-dried American oak barrels (10% new, 30% four years old, and 60% five-plus years old).
Aging: Fourteen months in barrel

Hand-harvested grapes fermented on the indigenous yeast, followed by full malolactic on the naturally occurring malolactic bacteria; minimum effective sulfur for this wine (35 ppm at crush, 81 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.

See all food pairing recipes we have created specifically for this wine.