Post Flirtation Red 2019
Varietal:
50% Carignan, 50% Zinfandel
Alcohol:
13%
Vineyard:
Zinfandel: North Ponderosa Vineyard (38%), Sierra Foothills; certified organic on decomposed granite and clay. Del Barba Vineyard (12%), Oakley, CA; dry farmed on sand (like walking on a beach).
Carignan: Ricetti Vineyard, Mendocino County; planted in 1948; certified organic; dry farmed on gravelly loam.
Tasting Notes:
Notes of ripe blackberry and dried plum balance more herbaceous characteristics of pine and rosemary; plenty of fruit to serve chilled, but enough structure if you want it at normal cellar temp; a buoyant wine that will lift up your palate rather than weigh it down.
Tableside Talk
The 2019 blend welcomes a new vineyard in the Sierra Foothills which gives this vintage an alpine vibe.
Martha's Notes
This wine is so joyous, and to me, distinctly Californian.
I never knew how much I loved Zinfandel until I started working as Chris Brockway’s (Broc Cellars) Assistant Winemaker. When picked before the grape berries begin to shrivel, you get amazing hibiscus, rhubarb, pomegranate, and baking spices from Zin. Like an avocado, the window is small between unripe and overripe for Zin, and I watch our Zinfandel vineyards closely. 2019 was the first vintage we worked with a new Zin vineyard called North Ponderosa, which is located in the Sierra Foothills. The grapes from this vineyard feel more alpine in their flavor profile and body, bringing exciting new characteristics to this blend. Carignan, Zin’s less celebrated companion, provides a savory component reminiscent of driving through California chaparral, and, like Ricetti’s, can be incredibly complex with 70 years of vine age. I’m not re-inventing the wheel with this classic old vine Zin/Carignan blend, just lightening things up a bit.
Production Notes
Production: 1540 cases
At Bottling:
13% alcohol. Filtered. At bottling (February 2020): free SO2 4 mg/L, total SO2 28 mg/L.