Muscardini
2019 Zinfandel
, Los Chamizal Vineyards
Sonoma Valley

98 Points, Best of Class - 2022 North Coast Wine Challenge

Crafted with premium fruit from one of the most cherished hillside vineyards in Sonoma Valley, with lofty aromas of wild berries, roasted fig, licorice, pipe tobacco, fresh mountain herbs, allspice, and smoky cedar.  On the palate, lively flavors of blackberry, boysenberry and wild strawberry are enhanced with notes of sage, black pepper, cardamom, dark chocolate nibs, and roasted black walnuts.  This wine is a classic example of hillside Zinfandel at its finest.  Enjoy now or cellar another 4 or 5 years.

Pair with tangy blue cheeses, spicy hummus, grilled tri-tip, pasta Bolognese, smoked baby back ribs, slow roasted meats, and chocolate truffles with sea salt.

VINEYARD
Los Chamizal Vineyards are located in the rocky hillside foothills above the city of Sonoma, in the Moon Mountain District of Sonoma Valley. The beautiful terraced vines were first planted in the 1970′s and are carved into steeply sloping hillsides reaching 800 ft. in elevation. The soils range from well drained sandy clay loam at lower elevations to thin fractured basalt soils at higher elevations. The vineyard has a modestly warm climate through the day, with the vines savoring cooler evening air that preserves slightly higher acidity levels in the grapes. The hills are so steep that the vineyards rows have to be terraced, resulting in each vine getting perfect exposure to the sunlight, which is key for ripening zinfandel evenly. The rocky soils force the roots to grow deep, and the resulting wines show a great deal of character. Los Chamizal is sustainably farmed, using permanent crop cover, compost and organic fertilizers to nurture the soil.

VINTAGE
After a whole berry crush, we cold soaked the fruit for three days, and then put it through twenty days of fermentation. 100% Zinfandel.

Appellation: Moon Mountain District, Sonoma Valley
Vineyard: Los Chamizal Vineyards
Blend: 100% Zinfandel
Winemaker: Michael Muscardini
Alcohol: 14.7%

Tasting Notes  PDF

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