Dashe Big River Vineyard Zinfandel 2003

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Starting at: $19^.95

2 Reviews

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Winery:

Dashe Cellars

Varietal:

Zinfandel

Region:

USA > California > Sonoma

Type:

Red Wine

Color:

Drink Dates:

Drink Now - 2011

UPC:

 

User Tags:  balance, black, tannin - medium, finish - long, sausage, mint, cool, menthol, fresh, closed 

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What to Expect

Zinfandel is considered America's own great indigenous grape, even though its origins lie on the Adriatic coast. Planted throughout California and the Pacific Northwest, Zinfandel is at its best in warm regions with cooler temperatures during harvest. The wines can range from off-dry Rosés, White Zinfandels, and light bistro styled wines, to big, rich powerful wines - even luscious wines for dessert bottling. The flavors range from plummy to raspberry, although deep blackberry fruit and brambly spice tones are most common.

Winemakers Notes

Vineyard Notes: We don't know why the zinfandel vines at the Big River Ranch- just a few miles south-east of the town of Healdsburg-produce such inky-black, concentrated wines, but we certainly recognized from the start that this vineyard was sure to produce one of our very best zinfandels. These head-trained vines on the rocky, red, steep slopes consistently produce a huge wine: thick, flavorful, and seductively rich. By combining this zinfandel with a small amount of petite syrah from vines on the same ranch, we were able to create a small amount, just over 300 cases, of a wine that we feel read more...is one of our most stylish and balanced, as well as mouth-filling, creations. Winemaking Notes: The vintage of 2003 was one of the warmest on record, which pushed the ripeness of the grapes to produce a very fruit-forward, lush, thick wine which exhibits the classic blackberry and chocolate flavors that are characteristic of Alexander Valley zinfandel. We harvested the grapes in late September, trucking the grapes to the winery in 1/2 ton picking bins, and then sorting the grapes on a conveyor belt on the way to the crusher. The crushed grapes were then fermented in small stainless-steel tanks using only the natural yeast population on the surface of the grapes (rather than commercial dried yeasts) to conduct the fermentation. Our tanks are outfitted with custom-made stainless-steel grids that hold the grape skins below the surface of the fermenting juice, to extract maximum flavor, color, and complexity from the grapes. Tasting Notes: Color: Inky black Aroma: Chocolate and coffee, blackberry jam, clove and licorice, lavander and violets. Taste: Blackberry fruit, chocolate, clove spice, velvety texture, very full-bodied with round chalky tannins, long sweet finish of blackberry fruit and chocolate. Technical Notes: Varietals: 98% Zinfandel, 2% Petite Syrah Appellation: Alexander Valley (Sonoma County) Alcohol: 14.8% by vol. Time in oak: 12 months Oak: French; 20% new Production: 361 cases, 750mL Release date: September 1, 2005 Optimum time: 2006-2012 Return to Dashe Cellars Wine List    (hide)

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