As always, it’s always a nail-biter to get Late Harvest Zinfandel in so late in the season. We harvested in late October, and the grapes 
arrived at the winery right at 38° Brix of sugar.
We crushed the grapes to a small 1,500-gallon tank and as is our tradition at Dashe Cellars, we fermented the grapes naturally, using 
the native yeasts that naturally live on the skins of the grapes. Since the grapes were super ripe, the fermentation roared off at the start, 
and then rapidly slowed as the yeast created over 10% alcohol. The fermentation finally sputtered to a halt when the alcohol had 
reached about 14 percent and the sugar level was 9 percent. We always allow the wine to achieve its balance of sweetness and alcohol 
naturally, by letting the fermentation finish up on its own. 
As is our tradition, the wine was aged in older French oak barrels to not overpower the intensity of the fruit. During our blending 
trials, we decided to stay with our tradition of bottling the wine as soon as possible to maintain its fresh fruit flavors and conserve its 
lovely sweet concentration and purity. The wine is unfined and received minimal handling to the bottle.

Color: Dark purple
Aroma: Lovely aromas of black raspberry, cherry, and floral notes of lavender and violets. The aromas have hints of dried cranberry and plum, cocoa, vanilla, black pepper spice.
Flavors: Lovely, soft black raspberry, black currant, blackberry, plum, and hints of chocolate and vanilla. The lovely, complex fruit is balanced with nice acidity, making the wine sweet but not at all cloying—an ideal and not overpowering dessert wine.