Edizione Pennino 2010

Zinfandel characteristically ripens fairly unevenly, which means it takes many trips through the vineyards to harvest only the selections that have reached optimal maturity—then wait on the others. We made our first pass through the vineyard on October 7th and finished picking on October 21st, checking the vineyards daily in between and harvesting only fully ripe clusters. Luckily, there was no rain during this period, so the grapes were able to ripen and reach full tannin development unhindered. Following fermentation the lots were aged primarily in French oak barrels for 18 months in our climate controlled caves.

The weather was moody in 2010. Cool spring temperatures hindered fruit development early on, which extended the season a few weeks. Because it took unusually long for the weather to warm up, the grapes were left to hang on the vines much longer than normal. While there was average rainfall throughout the vintage, cooler-than-normal temperatures were punctuated by a few heat waves in late summer that required intensive crop thinning. These conditions reduced the yields 35% from the year before. Having less fruit coupled with extended hangtime, delivered highly fragrant, rich and concentrated fruit.