Released on November 1st, is our 2004 Contra Costa County Zinfandel. We adore the distinctive character of Contra Costa County Zinfandel, in fact, our love affair with this out-of-the-way appellation dates back over 12 years to our early winemaking days. The bold flavors and inviting aromatics typical of Zinfandel from this sandy terroir dazzled our young palates and have continued to intrigue us with each successive vintage. Ripe raspberry and black cherry aromas mingle with notes of sweet maple and birch beer in the heady aroma of this bold Zinfandel. On the palate hints of white pepper and boysenberry are flanked by finely-structured tannin and supported by vanilla and caramel accents. As is typical in our wines a subtle suggestion of the earth on which the grapes were grown lingers in the wine and delivers a sense of place.

The 2004 vintage was both early and warm. Surprisingly, our Zinfandel grapes matured in the month of August and hit an ideal sugar/acid balance well before summer ended. The early harvest allowed us to ferment the wine, press off skins, and send it down to barrel for maturation all by mid-September. The lush, full-bodied structure of this wine makes it incredibly drinkable at a young age and we found that it needed only 12 months of barrel age to round out the tannins and build structure around the incredible berry richness of the fruit. The lively aromatics are reminiscent of mulling spices making this wine an excellent accompaniment to Fall/Winter and Holiday fare.