2020 MOUNT PEAK RATTLESNAKE ZINFANDEL

Vineyard Notes

Composition

93% Zinfandel

7% Petite Sirah

Appellation

Sonoma County

Vineyard

Monte Rosso Vineyard

Alcohol Content

15.5%

Titratable Acidity

6.2g/L

Ph

3.56

Cases Produced

2,891 cases

The Vintage

Rattlesnake Zinfandel is a tribute to the Rattlesnake Block, the highest point of the Monte Rosso Vineyard. It’s famous for the rattlesnakes living among the vines, seeking sunshine by day and warmth in the vines at night. The 2020 vintage is marked by an aromatic bouquet of dark chocolate, orange peel, raspberry tart, star anise, clove and white pepper. The juicy palate unveils notes of red plum, black cherry and licorice root with a dash of cinnamon on the finish. This full-bodied Zinfandel is well balanced, boasting fresh acidity and refined tannins which carry the fruit and spice tones through the long lasting, toasty finish.

Viticulture Notes

This wine is crafted entirely from the historic Monte Rosso Vineyard, offering exceptional fruit with incredible concentration. The 2020 vintage was a challenging year. Warm dry spring conditions led to early budbreak and a slight reduction in crop size. The typical diurnal temperature swings kicked in, and we did not see any prolonged heat spikes until late in the season. We began picking in late September and finished during the first week of October.

Winemaking Notes

We gave the grapes a two- to three-day cold soak to extract the desired foundation for colour, flavour and structure. Fermentation took place in open-top tanks with up to 14 days of maceration time. All lots were aged separately until the blend was assembled and returned to barrel for flavours to integrate. Total barrel aging was 15 months in 42% new oak (34% French, 8% American), with the balance aging in neutral barrels.