Zinfandel 2017

Del Barba, Contra Costa County
Driving in around Contra Costa County some would never know that gems like Del Barba Vineyard exist. Located in the Contra Costa AVA, Tom Del Barba owns and farms the vineyard in the town of Oakley. We didn’t know it was possible for vines to grow in pure sand, but Del Barba taught us that. These old vines give beautiful acidity and spice every year that is maintained throughout ripening process.

Cherryhouse, Lodi
Located in the Lodi’s Mokelumne River AVA, the meticulously managed vineyard is owned and farmed by brothers Jeff and John Perlegos. They took a chance on selling Jason a small amount of grapes in 2016 and Jason has been buying from them ever since. The head trained vines are rooted in a sandy loam and yield a bright and concentrated Zinfandel. Instead of the typically large cluster that Zinfandel can be known for, Cherryhouse yields a tight grenade-like cluster with a small berry size. It’s a special site that excites us every year.

Both vineyards are fermented in small open-top containers using only native yeasts. After about 3 weeks of fermentation the lots are barreled down into 20% new French oak and are aged for 10 months before bottling.

“With the Cherryhouse soil being sandy loam derived from decomposed granite and the Del Barba soil being pure sand, both vineyards contribute completely different components to the blend. Cherryhouse is bold with beautiful acidity and Del Barba is spicy with more red fruit. Both come together to make our California Zinfandel absolutely delicious.

Black cherries, espresso, and vanilla spice are accompanied by a full mouthfeel and an everlasting finish. This wine tastes like Zinfandel — good Zinfandel. Don’t think too much about it, just enjoy it . . . with friends and loved ones preferably . . . or by yourself with a tub of chocolate ice cream (my wife’s preference).”
— Jason Driscoll, Winemaker