Sebastiani Zinfandel 2017 (California)

Description

• French & Hungarian Oak
• Vanilla
• Cake spice 
• Polished tannins

"It's instantly appealing on the nose showing sweet plum, mulberry, vanilla, cedar and cake spice aromas. The palate offers supple mouthfeel and ripe fruit intensity, gorgeously enhanced by velvety texture and polished tannins. Flavoursome, generous and immensely drinkable" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Jun 2020

Aromas of black plum and pepper give way to the juicy, bright red fruit on the palate. The 2017 Sonoma County Zinfandel is fruit forward with lingering jam fruit flavors that finish with a nice vanilla and clove backbone.

The 2017 growing season started off with record setting rainfalls, delaying bud break from years past. Spring and summer experienced a mixture of foggy, warm and windy conditions. The summer months were moderately warm allowing the grapes to mature at an ideal pace. Extreme heat spikes at the end of August to early September pushed
harvest ahead of schedule. The fruit for this wine entered the winery from October 13 to October 30, 2017.

Sonoma County is one of California’s premier growing regions for Zinfandel wine. Thee majority of the fruit for the 2017 Sonoma County Zinfandel comes from vineyards in Alexander Valley and Dry Creek Valley which provide plenty of sunshine that this varietal thrives on. Moderate cooling from nearby coastal regions result in juicy and fruit forward Zinfandels.

After harvest, the fruit was cold soaked to enhance the color and flavor while avoiding harsh tannins. The individual lots were racked once and put into a combination of American oak barrels (24% new), and three year old French and Hungarian oak. The wine was bottled in April of 2019.

This Zinfandel comes from select vineyard sites within California’s North Coast. The majority of the fruit comes from Sonoma County which is among the finest regions in the United States for Zinfandel. The remainder is from Lake County where volcanic, rocky soils provide intense structure and concentration. the result is a synergy of intense flavors and distinction.

2016 began with an early bud break and moderate temperatures throughout spring. The summer months were moderately tempered as well, with few heat spells and foggy evenings. Cooler temperatures in August resulted in increased hang times on the vines, and allowed the vines to ripen at a slower pace. The fruit for this wine was harvested from September 27 – October 18, 2016 at optimum ripeness.

Harvested in small lots, the grapes cold soaked for up to three days before fermentation. They were inoculated with yeast strains specifically that enhance the raspberry fruit and fermentation completion. The wine was pressed off slightly sweet to avoid excessive tannins. The individual lots were racked off the lees and re-racked into French, Hungarian and American oak.