5 | Wine | Zinfandel, 2011

"Blackberry, black cherry and raspberry mix with spicy notes of pepper and vanilla, making our Dancing Bull Zinfandel one of the best things to ever happen to barbeque."

"Medium-bodied, with good acid, sweet berry fruit, some pepper, incense and spice." -Robert Parker

"The effect of the destemmer was significant on our 2011 Heritage Vines Zinfandel because it removed almost all of the stems. With this wine, our goal for the maceration was to aggressively extract during the first half of fermentation and then drain and press the wine off the skins prior to drying. This technique allowed us to coax out the depth of the ripe, racy fruit that lurks within Zinfandel grapes and also to avoid some of the roughness that can be leeched out of the skins at the end of fermentation. We employed the use of both French and American oak in the aging of this wine. Toast levels on these barrels were deep enough to impart chocolate and roasted coffee features into the finished wine."

"Lot 381 hails from the Eastern hills of Lodi; fresh with pure red and black fruit intensity. A ripe, thick texture marked with toasty oak richness. Stunning."

"An intense, full-bodied wine with red fruit, blackberry and spice. Lingering tannins over a long, smoky finish."

"Lush and dark fruits of blackberry, berry pie, black cherry, white pepper, peppermint, molasses, Oreo cookie, turmeric, vanilla, clove and nutmeg. A mouthwetting snap of acidity balances the round and ripe fruit, and the thin-skinned Zinfandel tannins propel the wine into an elegant and impressive big Pinot Noir style."

"Full black cherry and blackberry fruit aromas with a beautiful balance and a big, sumptuous, and juicy mouth feel. It also presents complex spicy aromas, with a nice creamy texture."

"The color is bright crimson red with a violet hue. The aroma is very bright, showing fresh raspberry, boysenberry and pomegranate fruit, followed by classic “zinny” spice of nutmeg, cinnamon and black pepper. The fruit and spice continues on the palate, which is again fresh with hints of blueberry and huckleberry. The texture is round and rich for easy drinking and the tannins add to the lush mouthfeel."