100+ Year Old Vines!
Enjoy with rich Cheeses, fresh berries, Gourmet Pizzas, Pomegranate Chicken, seared Duck Breast with cherry sauce, Lamb Sliders, Baby Back Ribs.
VINEYARD
These 100+ year old ancient vines grow straight out of the rocky ground on the "bench" of the east Dry Creek Valley, our favorite terroir for Zinfandel in the Dry Creek Valley. In fact, these vines were hidden away under a thick patch of raspberry vines and weeds when John Louvau bought the property in the late '70s. It was only after he cleared the weeds to plant grapevines did he discover that he already had a small vineyard on the property: old, gnarled trunks of Zinfandel that were planted in the early 1900s. The vines are head-trained and are pruned so that they are quite low to the ground, resulting in tiny yields of concentrated fruit.
WINEMAKING
The vintage in 2022 produced a very reduced crop on these old vine grapes; barely one ton of grapes was harvested in the morning of September 9th. The wine fermented out dark and concentrated, with great structure and complexity. Hand-sorted to focus on only the best fruit. The fruit was fermented using only the natural yeast. At dryness, the wine was gently pressed in a membrane press and pumped to 60-gallon French oak barrels. Aged for 16 months to develop complexity without too much oak character to deter from the wine’s vibrancy.
Vintage: 2022
Varietals: 100% Zinfandel
Vineyard: Louvau Vineyard
Appellation: Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County
Time in oak: 16 months in French oak
Alcohol: 15.1%
Gold Medal
Generously packed with black cherry, cola, cassis, and plum that all intermingle together in a creamy, velvety texture with great layering, finishing with delightful notes of oak and spice. Persistent, well-defined structure, wonderfully balanced.
96 Point Vintage
Entices with aromas of Bing cherry, raspberry, and cedar spice. Indicative of the cool vintage, the wine carries a freshness throughout. The palate offers a harmonious balance between bright red fruit, spice, and nicely woven tannins.
94 Points
Opulent dark fruited with blackberry and ironstone mineral character, blue fruit notes, and violets with crushed cocoa nibs nuances and a long dark chocolate and mineral-scented finish. Ultra delicious and quite lengthy.
98 Points
Deep purple hue and an alluring aromatic profile of fresh blue fruits and delicate violets. On the palate, it delivers a seamless and layered texture, framed by supple, polished tannins and a refined sense of balance. Elegantly structured, it offers remarkable purity and finesse, finishing with graceful length and poise.
95 Points
This stellar Napa Valley Red Blend marries lush plum and cherry with Malbec's dark berry depth and Petit Verdot's structure and spice. Layered with notes of blackberry, violet, and cocoa, this silky wine finishes with smooth tannins and a whisper of toasted oak. Robust and mouth-filling, with spicy nuances, smooth tannins, firm structure, and a long lingering finish.
94 Points
Deep garnet-purple colored, it leaps from the glass with vibrant notes of fresh black currants, kirsch, and mulberries... Full-bodied, the palate delivers a firm line of grainy tannins with bold freshness to frame the muscular black fruit, finishing long and cedary.
Gold Medal
Light pink in color with aromas of watermelon, cranberry, orange rind, and fresh spring flowers that leap from the glass. The palate offers more peach, strawberry, and melon, with an intriguing note of rose and hibiscus. It's crisp with just the perfect hint of red fruit, and delicate whisper of strawberry that gives goosebumps.
PDF