Collier Falls
2007 Reserve Zinfandel
Dry Creek Valley, "Hillside Estate"

92 Points – Wine & Spirits

The 2007 Collier Falls Private Reserve Zinfandel is a surprisingly light burgundy color, belying the rich flavors to follow.  The nose shows a mix of red and black berry flavors, baking spice, and a hint of vanilla from the American oak used in the blend.  The palate is medium to full bodied, with black cherry, raspberry, and black pepper, finishing with jammy fruit flavors. While this is a big wine, it has plenty of acidity to keep it in balance. This is a classic example of Zinfandel, showing all the hallmark flavors, so for fans of Zinfandel, this is one that is sure to please, and is a steal at this price, where you seldom find this level of refinement and concentration.

Wine Maker Notes:
From the first inhale this dark yet graceful wine displays soft and inviting layers of ripe fruit. Blackberry and strawberry on the nose are followed by flavors of red licorice and raspberry. A toasty finish and lush mouthfeel make this wine a sensual compliment to any meal.

AVA: Dry Creek Valley
Blend: 100% Zinfandel
Harvest date: September 6, 2007
Harvest sugar: 28.7 Brix
Bottling date: February 2009
Release date: October 2011
pH: 3.65
TA: 0.56 g/100mL
Alcohol: 15.7%
Aging: 15 months in American oak (one-third new barrels).
Fermentation: Cold soaked for 48 hours in a small stainless steel tank. Pumped over twice daily during the fermentation process.
Racked: Twice during the aging process and once at bottling.
Cases: 725 cases produced.

Tasting Notes  PDF

About The Winery...

Collier Falls Vineyard is a 100-acre hillside property, located in the northwest corner of Dry Creek Valley in Sonoma County, California. The property was purchased in 1997 by Barry and Susan Collier from Don and Rhonda Carano of Ferrari-Carano Winery. Originally planted in 1982 as an eight-acre Zinfandel vineyard, Collier Falls expanded its vineyards in 1997 with eight more acres of Primitivo. In 1998, ten additional acres were planted, three to Zinfandel and seven to Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petite Sirah and Petit Verdot. A sixty-foot waterfall on the property gives this wine its name, but hillside vineyards tucked into the northwest corner of the valley provide its true character. Vines densely planted on terraces of rocky clay soil compete with each other for nutrients, giving the grapes complexity, while hot days and cool nights create the perfect microclimate for Dry Creek Zinfandel. Hand-harvested grapes, delicately crushed, give the winemaker juice concentrated with flavors of red berry and spice. Aging in both French and American oak barrels creates balance and distinctiveness. Collier Falls produces annual private reserve bottlings of 1500 cases of estate-bottled Zinfandel, 300 cases of an estate Primitivo, less than 1000 cases of the "Hillside-Estate" Cabernet Sauvignon and 100 cases of a "Hillside-Estate" Petite Sirah.

More at www.collierfalls.com.

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