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Tasting Notes

This wine opens with expressive aromas of boysenberry, dark chocolate, and bright, jammy fruit. The palate is powerful and structured, layered with flavors of ripe boysenberry, black licorice, and cracked peppercorn. A mocha-like creaminess and a subtle touch of toffee emerge on the finish, adding depth and elegance. Bold, mountain-grown fruit is beautifully balanced by the nuanced influence of French oak, carrying through to a long, refined finish.

Vintage Notes

Cooler temperatures and an abundance of spring rains in 2023 pushed back the first day of harvest to the beginning of September. The later start and extra ripening time for the fruit allowed flavors and color to develop slowly for depth and concentration. Warm fall days spread harvest out past the end of October for many of the red varieties, with a final pick of Merlot delivered to the winery on November 2.

Vineyard Notes

Established in 2013, the Moon Mountain District of Sonoma County has only 1,500 vineyard acres planted to grapes. It lies on the eastern end of the Sonoma Valley AVA and spans from 400 to 2,200 ft in elevation. In particular, the grapes grown in this region are known to get plenty of sunshine from western-facing slopes and hold unique mineral characteristics due to the rocky and volcanic origin of its soils. While more and more varietals are being grown in this prestigious AVA, Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel both have long histories here, producing some captivating wines.

Winemaker Notes

Winemaker Katie Madigan sources this Zinfandel from the Montecillo vineyard, which sits high above the fog line and enjoys the benefits of a longer hang time on the vine before harvest. Once picked, the fermentation is preceded by a short cold soak followed by cooler fermentation temperatures to keep extraction in balance. After it has finished alcoholic fermentation, the wines are racked to French oak barrels to undergo their malolactic fermentation and elevage. Before bottling, blend trials are performed to find the best combination of various lots to put forth an expressive vintage wine.