Vintage

While Gypsy was not a very temperamental vineyard in an otherwise difficult 2015, it was not challenge-free. As with most vineyards it suffered from some uneven ripening due to cold temperatures during pollination. Furthermore, the harvest came unexpectedly quick due to the warm and dry conditions in the summer of 2015.

 

I believe that many Zinfandel wines sold today are made from grapes that are harvested too late. This typically leads to alcohol levels close to 17% and jammy over-ripe flavors. In order to avoid this I decided to pick our grapes quite early, with the sugar levels still low and the acid levels still high. I joined the Poor family at sunrise on August 25th and we picked the one-ton of grapes in about two hours.

 

Winemaking

As with our other wines, I produced the Zinfandel with minimal intervention. The grapes were destemmed without crushing into an open-top fermenter and then cold-soaked at 55 °F for four days to increase flavor complexity. The yeast was then added to the grapes and the fermentation took nine days to complete. I tasted and monitored the wine daily. When the desired flavor profile was reached the must was pressed to separate the skins and seeds and the wine was transferred into barrels and aged for 10 months in American oak barrels. The finished wine is truly remarkable. It is a welcome departure from modern Zinfandels, which can be jammy and flat. It is incredibly complex with many wonderful flavors of red and dark berries combined with a bright acidity and soft tannins. It has exceeded even our high expectations and truly showcases what Zinfandel can become when it is made with restraint and attention to detail.

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Awards

• Gold Medal - 2018 Indy International Wine Competition

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