This Mountain-grown Zinfandel opens in the glass with tempting notes of opulent dark berries, spicy black pepper and a rich mineral essence, underpinned by beautifully integrated oak nuances through to a long, elegant finish
The grapes are ‘Estate Grown’ from the Bradford Mountain Estate vineyard. Overlooking the western edge of Dry Creek Valley, the vineyard spans six and a half hectares on the very top of the 385-metre peak that Fred cleared and planted in the 1980s. The well-drained, red-clay soil, combined with sunny days and cool nights, produces small, intensely flavoured grapes. This wine encapsulates all of the best qualities found in mountain-grown Zinfandels from the Dry Creek Valley appellation: the poorer soils and cooler nights harness and preserve more of the bright acidity and freshness in the grapes. More sunlight hours at the higher elevation means thicker-skinned fruit which translates as darker, richer fruit. The key characteristics of mountain-grown Zinfandel are that it has a peppery quality and more intense black fruit characteristics.