2006 Russian River Valley Zinfandel
Ottimino Vineyard
Ottimino Vineyard, “our home ranch,” is planted on the land that previously nurtured Ottimino Christiani’s apple orchard. It is located on the same ridgeline as Von Weidlich and Rancho Bello Vineyards, and shares their Goldridge soil structure and temperate climatic traits. Brad Alper planted the vineyard rows to run nearly north and south, providing proper exposure during the long summer days. Budwood came from benchmark old vine Zinfandel vineyards, and two blocks feature the Mendocino and Bradford Mountain selections. A smaller block, planted a few years earlier, contains the Costa Magna selection and stock from the Von Weidlich and Rancho Bello vineyards, extending the historical lineage of the area’s Zinfandel. St. George rootstock minimizes virus potential and aids vine growth in our dry-farmed conditions. Like all of Ottimino's vineyards, we crop for low yields to achieve unique flavors and unparalleled quality.
This third vintage from the Ottimino Vineyard was harvested on October 14, giving us, once again, the extended ripening time we expect to find in most vintages in this cool section of west Russian River Valley. The 2006 vintage was temperate through spring and into summer, with late August heat finally driving the ripening patterns full speed ahead, and then cooler temperatures in late September guaranteed ideal maturation. We crushed and fermented the fruit with minimal intervention, as is our practice with all the Ottimino single vineyard wines. The must was cold-soaked for two days, then extracted by vigorous irrigation and punchdown until the wine went dry and was pressed off. Malolactic finished during aging in 50% new French oak custom-built for Ottimino by Roberts Cooperage. The wine was racked quarterly and bottled without fining.
TASTING NOTES:
Intense aromas of blueberry, orange rind, and ripe raspberry are bolstered by well-integrated notes of French oak that amplify the wine’s cardamom spice. The entry is big and velvety, and the broad palate features flavors of blackberry jam, cranberry and blueberry, all ringing out in the mouth-coating and lengthy finish.
TECHNICAL NOTES
| Production Details | Analytical Data | |
| Blend: 100% Zinfandel | Harvested: October 14, 2006 | |
| Vineyard: Ottimino | Brix 25.2º | |
| Appellation: Russian River Valley |
T.A. 6.4 g/l | |
| Cooperage: Roberts (custom-built) & Demptos |
pH 3.59 | |
| Aging: Twenty-one months | Bottled: August 21, 2008 | |
| Barrel Age: 50% new & 50% 1- & 2-year-old |
T.A. 5.7 g/l | |
| Production: 837 cases produced | pH 3 .79 |
