Mutt Lynch Winery Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley Canis Major Perotti Vineyard 2005

Winemaker's Notes:

The Greater Dog The constellation "Canis Major" is famous the world over for its sparkling beauty. Resembling a large dog, it is known as "The Greater Dog". Canis Major seemed a fitting name for our special, vineyard-designated wines. Perotti Vineyard We have sourced our Zinfandel from Ed and Bruce Perotti (father and son) since 1997. For us, this is quite a long time. For Ed, it is barely a blip on the screen. Walking the vineyard with this father and son team, one feels the history. The land has been in family for over 90 years. Ed's grandfather "Mancini" came from Italy and settled into the Northern Sonoma area to raise fruits and grapes, selling them to other Italian immigrants in the North Beach community in San Francisco. Passing from father to son, Ed took over in the mid 1960's and Bruce has taken charge of farming in recent years. The cycle continues. Brenda's Wine The long and cool growing season has delivered a more tightly structured Perotti Vineyard Zinfandel than in previous vintages. The signature Perotti fruit of fresh red berries and black cherries is still at the wine's heart, with a tad more dark berries than 2004. The Francois Frères French oak barrels (40% new) is well integrated into the wine's character, balancing the Zinfandel berry/cherry fruit with toasty, roasted, dark chocolate nuances. In the finish the wine shows its vintage, with tightly wound tannins showcased in a long, balanced structure. A flavorful, marbled rib-eye steak on the grill comes to mind as a perfect pairing! What People Have Said 2005 Zinfandel Sonoma County Harvest Fair - GOLD MEDAL • San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition - Bronze Medal. 2004 Zinfandel Robert Parker - "An excellent Zin with the dog motif humorously displayed on the label, this dark ruby-hued offering reveals sweet cherry, pepper, herb, and licorice aromas and flavors as well as a spicy finish." 88/100 points.