Dashe Cellars 2003 Zinfandel - Big River Ranch

Vineyard Notes:
We don't know why the zinfandel vines at the Big River Ranch- just a few miles south-east of the town of Healdsburg-produce such inky-black, concentrated wines, but we certainly recognized from the start that this vineyard was sure to produce one of our very best zinfandels. These head-trained vines on the rocky, red, steep slopes consistently produce a huge wine: thick, flavorful, and seductively rich. By combining this zinfandel with a small amount of petite syrah from vines on the same ranch, we were able to create a small amount, just over 300 cases, of a wine that we feel is one of our most stylish and balanced, as well as mouth-filling, creations.

Winemaking Notes:
The vintage of 2003 was one of the warmest on record, which pushed the ripeness of the grapes to produce a very fruit-forward, lush, thick wine which exhibits the classic blackberry and chocolate flavors that are characteristic of Alexander Valley zinfandel. We harvested the grapes in late September, trucking the grapes to the winery in 1/2 ton picking bins, and then sorting the grapes on a conveyor belt on the way to the crusher. The crushed grapes were then fermented in small stainless-steel tanks using only the natural yeast population on the surface of the grapes (rather than commercial dried yeasts) to conduct the fermentation. Our tanks are outfitted with custom-made stainless-steel grids that hold the grape skins below the surface of the fermenting juice, to extract maximum flavor, color, and complexity from the grapes.

Tasting Notes:

Color:	Inky black
Aroma:	Chocolate and coffee, blackberry jam, clove and licorice, lavander and violets.
Taste:	Blackberry fruit, chocolate, clove spice, velvety texture, very full-bodied with round chalky tannins, long sweet finish of blackberry fruit and chocolate.

Technical Notes:

Varietals:	98% Zinfandel, 2% Petite Syrah
Appellation:	Alexander Valley (Sonoma County)
Alcohol:	14.8% by vol.
Time in oak:	12 months
Oak:	French; 20% new
Production:	361 cases, 750mL
Release date:	September 1, 2005
Optimum time:	2006-2012