Dashe Cellars, Zinfandel, Todd Brothers Ranch Old Vines is made from 100 percent Zinfandel

This is the twelfth vintage that we’ve made wine from these great old vines grown in one of the best red-soil vineyards in Sonoma. These thick, gnarled vines planted on the steep red rock slope in Geyserville always produce jet-black, intensely-flavored and very complex grapes. Since the vintage of 2009 was simply a stunning year for growing grapes, the Todd Brothers Ranch Zinfandel we produced in this vintage is equally stunning.
In 2009 as is our tradition we harvested the Todd Brothers Ranch grapes before any of our other grapes, in early September. The grapes were trucked to the winery in ½ ton picking bins, and then hand sorted (to remove any materials other than grapes or less than perfect grapes) on a conveyor belt on their way to the crusher. We fermented the grapes using our traditional method of native yeast fermentation, using the yeasts on the surface of the grapes to ferment the grape must. This native yeast method maximizes flavor, color, and complexity from the grapes. At dryness, the wine was gently pressed in a membrane press and pumped to traditional 60-gallon French oak barrels.
The wine from the start was dark purple in color and quite complex in flavors. The fermentation proceeded quickly, and we were able to press the grapes after only about 10 days on the skins. The resulting wine was a perfect balance of fruit, spice, and deeper earthy and mineral flavors.
The wine was aged for 14 months in one-year-old or older French oak barrels (we prefer the flavor of the fruit to not be overpowered by too much oak flavor. This wine is 100% from the Todd Brothers Ranch, and 99% Zinfandel) the remaining 1% is Petite Sirah grown on the vineyard. We feel this wine should easily improve with eight or more years of bottle age.

"The 2007 Zinfandel Louvau Vineyard Old Vines possesses more raspberry, garrigue, pepper and lavender notes which almost smell like something from southern France or Spain. Slightly deeper than the 2008, but with more acidity and more structure, it is not as endearing and charming as the 2008, but it is big, rich, and intense. It should drink well for 5-6 years.
Readers looking for Zinfandel made with a Pinot Noir sensibility should check out these efforts from Dashe Cellars."
- Wine Advocate (Feb. 2011), 90 pts