Grgich Napa Zinfandel 2013

Winemaker's Notes: The severe drought of this vintage produced small berries and clusters, enhancing the colour and concentrating flavours. The result was a wine with the rare blend of both power and elegance.

Vintage: The 2013 vintage was nearly perfect, with consistent sunshine and moderate temperatures. After a wet start to winter in 2012, spring was warmer than usual, triggering an early bud break and flowering and fruit set under sunny skies. With only one heat spike in late June/early July, Napa’s typical warm days and cool nights created wonderfully flavourful grapes. We started harvesting about two weeks earlier than usual and never seemed to stop with grapes coming in at a steady pace.

Vineyard: Our 34-acre vineyard above Calistoga is the warmest of our five vineyards and the sole source of our Zinfandel. Its northeast exposure catches abundant morning sun but is shaded from the hot, late afternoon sun and combined with the vineyard’s gravelly loam soils, creates the perfect spot to grow this varietal. We farm all of our vineyards naturally, without artificial pesticides or herbicides, and they are certified organic.

The Wine: We co-fermented the Zinfandel with a touch of Petite Sirah to add complexity and structure and then aged the wine in large oak casks so the flavours are well integrated but not overwhelmed by oak. This food-friendly Zinfandel’s fresh flavours of ripe blackberries, black cherries and a hint of pepper on the long finish are the perfect match for grilled meats with barbecue sauce, sausage pizza and hearty pastas.

Alcohol..............15% by volume

Fermentation....indigenous yeast; pressed off skins early to retain fruit character

Harvest period.....Sept. 26 - Oct. 8, 2013

Sugar.................25’å_ Brix (average)

Bottling date....March 31, 2015

Release date.....October 2017

Total acid .........5.5 g/L pH .....................3.81

Time in oak......15 months

Type of oak.......large French oak casks 

Blend.................97% Zinfandel 3% Petite Sirah