Don Albini and his wife Beth nurtured their backyard planting of Zin vines for their own label, Albini Family Vineyards, until they decided to give it up and sell the fruit to local wineries and rest on their laurels. The vines are about 30 years old, about 75% trellis/cordon trained and 25% head-trained, and the fruit was a real “sleeper” from the 2020 harvest and every year since then, producing a deep, richly berry-fruited wine that is phenomenal with food!

Winemaker Notes:

Inky color, super concentrated nose of blackberry fruit and peppery spice, with a lovely strap of leather that follows the creamy oak all the way thru the long and vivid finish—bright acidity keeps the berries singing well into the zingy finish. This will pair so well with rare steak and tomato-sauced pasta!

Harvest Date:

September 14, 2022

Average TA/pH at Harvest:

0.62 gm/100ml pH 3.33

Fermentation Characteristics:

All bin-fermented (3 different yeasts) & hand punched down twice daily. Total of 11 days on skins, including 3 days cold soak pre-fermentation.

Cellar Storage/Aging:

16.5 months in oak barrels—22% new Hungarian, 22% new French & 56% older American and French.

Varietal:

100% Zinfandel

Appellation:

95% Albini Vineyard, Russian River Valley (on Jensen Lane) and 5% Fountaingrove District

Release Date:

March 15, 2025