| 2008 ESTATE ZINFANDEL |
 |
2008 Alexander Valley Estate Zinfandel
Proprietor Fritz Stuhlmuller
Winemakers Leo Hansen
Technical Notes:
Alcohol:14.5%
pH: 3.90
Composition: 77% Zinfandel,
23% Petite Sirah
Total Acidity:0.61 g/100ml
Production: 372 cases
Release Date: June 2010
Bottled:January 2010
Suggested Retail:$28.00
Vineyards:
Stuhlmuller Vineyards is located at the southern edge of the Alexander Valley, where it converges with two other highly regarded Sonoma County appellations, Chalk Hill and the Russian River Valley. On its eastern edge, the 150-acre vineyard borders the Russian River. Situated in a unique location that is part river benchlands and part hillside, the vineyard benefits from its alluvial gravel soils and the more rocky soils that comprise the hillside sections of the vineyard.
The Clones:
At Stuhlmuller, two blocks totaling roughly 2.5 acres have been set aside for growing small amounts of exceptional Zinfandel and Petite Sirah. These vines are head pruned to augment the natural intensity of the hillside grown fruit by reducing yields. The budwood for this Zinfandel came from the prized 115-year-old Teldeschi clone, a legendary selection from Dry Creek Valley.
The Vintage:
2008 was a fairly early harvest. After a normal bud break, we saw unusual April frosts in the vineyard. Though these frosts reduced overall yields slightly, our frost protection worked well, preserving fruit quality. A cool May was followed by a warm summer and a hot July/August finish, with our Zinfandel and Petite Sirah harvest concluding in mid-September.
Winemaking:
In 2008, our Zinfandel was fermented as a mix of whole berries (88%) and whole clusters (12%) in open-top tanks, where they spent approximately 24 days on the skins. The addition of a small amount of whole clusters was used to add nuance and pure, forward fruit flavors, while contributing to tannin management. Aging was done in a mixture of American (28%) and French oak (72%), with the American oak being new and the French barrels ranging from one to five years old. The wine benefited from minimal handling, was racked twice and spent 16 months in barrel.
The Wine:
This is a lush and lovely black fruit expression of Zinfandel, with layers of black cherry and black raspberry supported by elements of clove, earth and spice. The palate is velvety and smooth, with fine tannins and notes of briary black fruit, roasted coffee and chocolate, with enough acidity to add lift and liveliness.
