2023 Red Rooster

Arguably our most beloved wine by our Wine Club Members, the Red Rooster Zinfandel blend combines power, concentration, poise, and fruit.  Roosters have a reputation for being noisy, aggressive, and sometimes just plain mean.  This blend is certainly all of those things, but with much softer edges.  We try and push more body into this wine, more oak, and darker fruit profiles.  The fruit varies every year, but it is always sourced from old vine, head trained Zinfandel found mostly on the eastern bench of Dry Creek Valley.  Many of the vineyards are dry farmed, and planted over 80 years ago, meaning yields are abysmal, creating wonderful concentration and delicious fruit flavors.

The 2023 is a blend of seven unique vineyards sprawled across the Dry Creek Valley. Some of the fruit used in this blend comes from vines over 115 years old, and it definitely shows!  Smelling this wine betrays the incredible depth layered on the palate.  Aromatics of rich strawberry pie, blackberry, and roasted s’mores waft about.  The palate layers on darker fruits and spice, with almost edgy tannins.  Giving this wine a little to open up would be useful, simply to round off that tannin profile.  Its finish is circular and soft, with notes of strawberry and blackberry.