Edizione Pennino Zinfandel
2011
Founded by a successful Finnish sea Captain, Gustave Niebaum, in the 1880’s, Inglenook Estate in Rutherford California was once the most highly regarded of the earliest, great Napa Valley estate wineries. Over the years the estate passed through the hands of Niebaum’s descendants. Eventually the family started to sell off plots of the historic homestead. Even the proud name was put on the market in 1964 and sold to a corporation as merely a brand name. But in 1975, Francis Ford Coppola...
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The Zinfandel for Edizione Pennino is grown in a variety of vineyard blocks scattered across Inglenook’s 235 contiguous acres. The old dry-farmed, head-pruned vines, which provide the backbone of the blend, offer concentrated berry flavors and spice; younger plantings of the historic Morisoli clone contribute fresh raspberry fruit flavors, lively acidity and spice notes; and the historic Werle selection adds dark boysenberry aromas and a round texture. Because we farm organically on the estate, it requires extra effort to cultivate our Zinfandel, as the varietal is one that’s susceptible to mildew and botrytis. We firmly believe, however, the rewards outweigh the added work that goes into creating this wine.
2011 will remain in memory as a challenging harvest because of rainfalls and botrytis. We decided to pick blocks and areas within the sub-divided blocks, clusters, or parts of clusters, to have the best ripeness possible without losing the crop. The grapes were less concentrated than the prior year but with more freshness and complexity. We made our first pass through the vineyard on October 3rd and finished picking on October 15th, checking the vineyards daily in between and harvesting only fully ripe clusters. Following fermentation the lots were aged in a variety of wood with one third of the wine going into French oak barrels and two-thirds going into American oak; thirty percent of all barrels were new wood. The wine aged for 18 months in our climate controlled caves.
Round on the palate with soft tannins, this year’s rendition of Pennino Zinfandel is fresh and aromatic. Beautiful notes of red and black berries mingle with sweet baking spices of vanilla, clove and cinnamon. Sweet, jammy fruit character and nuances of raspberries, red plums, and blackberries create a luscious flavor array. This year’s Pennino is more restrained than vintages past, but the wine demonstrates power, complexity and a fragrant finish without any one flavor being too overwhelming.
This is a very balanced and fresh zinfandel with strawberry, raspberry and plum character. Medium to full body, fine tannins and a clean finish. Bright and delicious. Harmonious style of zin. This is partially aged in 500 liter barrels. 50% American oak. Drink now.
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