2013 Russian River Valley "Papera Ranch" Zinfandel
96% Zinfandel
4% Carignane
Planted in 1934 by Celestino Papera, Papera Ranch is one of the greatest old-vine vineyards with which we work. One of the things that makes it so wonderful is its consistency, both in the vineyard (old-vine vineyards can often be a bit inconsistent with regards to the health of the vines and/or the ripening of fruit.) and the resulting wines. Picked near the end of the 2013 harvest on October 8th, the destemmed fruit was separated into two tanks. One was fermented with a Rhône isolate of yeast called D254 while the other tank was fermented with VRB, a yeast isolated from a ferment in Rioja. Aged in all French oak, only 21% new, and bottled unfined and unfiltered.
Tasting Note:
Beautiful medium-dark to dark garnet-red. Hi-toned, penetrating aromas of framboise liqueur with a touch of savory herbs. On first sniff, our much-lauded 2007 Papera Ranch Zinfandel comes to mind. But on the palate, this wine has better balance than the 2007 and reminds me more of our lively 2011. In fact, that describes this wine perfectly, a hypothetical blend of 2007 and 2011. But if you haven’t had those earlier vintages, in a nutshell, think intense red berry fruit, a full-bodied texture, and perfectly balanced alcohol and acidity. For my palate, perhaps our finest Papera to date. Drink from release through 2023. (MRO – 07/18/15)