2021 Zinfandel, Russian River Valley

At the time of bud break in late March, we had only received about 20 percent of our annual rainfall, so many growers early on adjusted their farming practices accordingly. This meant dropping fruit earlier in the season to keep the vines strong through to the end and refraining from aggressive fruit exposure. Despite the drier growing season, the ripening period that falls between mid-August to late October was nearly flawless. Long warm Fall days meant picking decisions could be scheduled in the absence of haste. Grapes patiently hung on the vines, waiting to be harvested at their ultimate balance of flavor, freshness and intensity. The resulting Zinfandels of the 2021 vintage are simply transcendent -- seductive and precise with incredible depth and sophistication.