2018 St Francis Old Vines Zinfandel

2018 St Francis Old Vines Zinfandel

2018 St Francis Old Vines Zinfandel, Sonoma County

Vintage Notes: A fairly mild spring and summer with few heat spikes allowed our 2018 harvest to begin right after Labor day, later than previous years. The consistent growing season and cooler temperatures allowed for slow ripening and deep flavor development resulting in exceptional quality fruit with remarkable balance and brightness.

Vineyard Notes: The grapes in our Sonoma County “Old Vines” Zinfandel come from vineyards in Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma Valley, Alexander Valley, and Russian River Valley. Planted 50 to more than 100 years ago, many of these historic vines are planted on St. George rootstock and are head-pruned and dry-farmed, producing low yields of fruit with highly concentrated, intense flavors and aromas.

Winemaker Notes: The grapes are gently de-stemmed and crushed before cold-soaking for three days to extract optimal color and flavor. The fruit is then inoculated with many different yeast strains to build complexity, then fermented in separate lots using a combination of pump-overs and delestage to soften tannins. Secondary malolactic fermentation occurs in French oak barrels. The wine aged in a barrel for sixteen months before final blending and bottling.

St. Francis Winery & Vineyards operates according to the three pillars of sustainability: environment, equity, and economics. Each of these factors are considered in our business decisions. The goal – to share amazing wines and delicacies from the heart of Sonoma County while preserving this mecca for future generations.