2018 Sonoma Valley "Rossi Ranch" Zinfandel
94% Zinfandel
6% Mixed Black Varieties (Petite Sirah, Peloursin, Alicante Bouschet, Grand Noir, and Tannat)
Under the watchful eye of Phil Coturri and his highly skilled crew, Rossi Ranch continues its winning streak. Picked October 13th at approximately 26 Brix, the must was cold soaked until an indigenous fermentation began six days later. It’s always so nice when Mother Nature does the work for us! Pressed on November 1st to all French oak, 17% new, the wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered.
Tasting Note:
Medium-dark ruby garnet. Like our Bedrock Zinfandel, the fruit profile of this wine is decidedly cherry but, in this case, more black as opposed to red. There’s also a lovely stone fruit quality reminding me of peaches. Our Rossi Zinfandel can occasionally exhibit a bit of rusticity in its youth but not so in this vintage. Yes, typical Sonoma Valley tannins are present but they are very much in the background, making for an atypically smooth and enjoyable rendition at such an early point in its evolution. Enjoyable now but even better from 2022 to 2028. (MRO - 01/05/21)