2002 Estate Zinfandel, Sonoma Mountain
Vintage
2002
Price
$45
Release Date
October 2005
Appellation
Sonoma Mountain
Availability
Sold at Winery
Case Production
49
Vineyards
Benziger Estate Vineyard
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Vineyard
Our Sonoma Mountain Estate Zinfandel, Joaquin's Inferno, is a Demeter-certified Biodynamic® wine produced entirely from the Benziger Family Estate. The Sonoma Mountain appellation is one of the smallest and most exclusive appellations in California. We produce three red wines from our estate: Tribute, the winery's flagship wine, Sonoma Mountain Red and Joaquins' Inferno Estate Zinfandel. The four Aristotelian elements: earth, water, air and fire, believed by ancient civilizations (and supported by today's science) to make up all objects in the universe are the icons and benchmarks of this wine. We believe that every place on earth has a different combination of earth (soil), water (bonds a plant to its environment), air (light) and fire (warmth). When these elements are united in ideal ratios, the fifth element (spirit) appears - the ultimate expression of pour connection to the land.
Vintage
Vintage 2002 started wet, even before the calendar said it was 2002 - we almost had our seasonal average of rain before the New Year - with January and February being unusually dry and typically cold. We had light rain at the end of March that slowed down budbreak but without causing any major problems. Unsettled weather through spring kept things interesting. More cool weather in May extended bloom, which could have caused uneven ripening. At the end of May we were about two weeks behind 2001. Veraison began in late July, later than average, but earlier than 1998 and 1999. Moving into the final stages of the growing season we were in pretty good shape considering that our summer had been fairly mild. 2002 was a vintage won in the vineyard, beginning shortly after budbreak with shoot thinning, and on through the season with crop thinning to balance the vines and eliminate any damaged or delayed fruit. This work by our growers allowed us to bring in ripe, uniform, high quality fruit with intense flavors and nice natural acid levels.
Vinification
The grapes for this Zinfandel were grown atop the hillside slopes of our Sonoma Mountain Estate. A variety of techniques were used to maximize the character the fruit and the sense of place. This wine was cold soaked for five days and fermented with indigenous yeasts were used. The grapes were fermented in 3 /4 ton bins and punched down daily by hand until dry. After being pressed to French Oak barrels the wine underwent malolactic fermentation and was aged for 16 months. The wine was bottled in February 2004. Alcohol: 14.5%, Total acidity: .59, pH: 3.91, Residual sugar: .26
Tasting Notes
This classic Sonoma Mountain Zin is a blockbuster. Extremely ripe and rich in aroma (blueberry, blackberry jam, toasted oak, black peppercorn), and powerful and long on the palate, with a persistent finish. Intensely flavored and full-bodied with velvety texture and good balance, combining richness and ripeness with the complexity of French oak aging. Serve with pasta with fresh tomato sauce, pizza with red and green peppers, hamburger, roast duck in Madeira and green peppercorn sauce, and breaded veal cutlet.
Mike Benziger, Winemaker