Ancient Peaks Zinfandel

Our goal is to produce a Zinfandel that exhibits evenness with a pure varietal character that is rooted in the growing conditions at Margarita Vineyard. Toward this end, we picked the different blocks in a range of 24 to 26 Brix, walking the line between ripeness and restraint. Prior to fermentation, the lots were cold soaked for 48 hours for a soft extraction of flavor and color. Pumpovers were employed three times per day in the earlier stages of fermentation for balanced extraction, then dialed back to ensure richness without astringency. After light pressing, the individual lots were racked to a combination of French (40%) and American (60%) oak barrels (comprised of 25% new oak), where they aged for 19 months prior to blending and bottling.