2004 Estates Old Vine Zinfandel

Purchase 2004 Estates Old Vine Zinfandel

VINTAGE

The 2004 vintage was one of the earliest on record. Warm spring weather preceded a moderate summer, followed by our first real heat spell in September. This particular heat event rapidly brought on sugar ripeness in many of the red varietals. Zinfandel was no exception with the sugars rising to 28° Brix, kicking off the 2004 harvest with a bang, which naturally resulted in another great year for Paso Robles Zinfandel.

ZINFANDEL

Our Old Vines Zinfandel is grown on our Pleasant Valley ranch, which is situated east of Paso Robles in the Estrella Hills. This is by far our oldest vineyard, characterized by twisting, gnarled vines, and is one of the original vineyards in the Paso Robles region. Varietal expression in Zinfandel usually spans the jammy fruit flavor and aroma spectrum, including plum, raspberry, currant and other rich jam fruits. In this vintage we decided to delay harvest until we captured these flavors. Thinning in the vineyard both at veraision and prior to harvest allowed us to select the best maturing clusters to give the wine optimum flavor balance.

TECHNICAL DATA

Origin: Pleasant Valley Ranch, Paso Robles Vineyard
Composition: 75% Zinfandel, 21% Syrah, 4% Petite Sirah
Brix at Harvest: 28.5° average
Total Acidity: 0.64 g/100 ml
pH at Bottling: 3.86
Alcohol: 13.85% by volume
Residual Sugar: 0.16 g/100 ml
Vinification: Stainless steel fermented at 85-90°F
Malolactic fermentation in barrels
Maturation: 11 months in new and 2nd fill French oak barrels
Production: 1153 cases
Bottling Date: December 2005


WINEMAKER’S COMMENTS

The 2004 J. Lohr Estates Old Vines Zinfandel has medium density with dark red colors. The aroma is characteristic of Zinfandel’s spicy red fruit composite. The raspberry and currant flavors are complemented with a toasty vanilla French oak. The palate has a soft texture with mid-palate weight, and is a superbly food-friendly wine. The Old Vines Zinfandel can be enjoyed with myriad dishes, including meats and vegetables served in a red ragu base.
Daniel Shaw, red winemaker

Purchase 2004 Estates Old Vine Zinfandel

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