2022 Dashe Cellars Zinfandel Vineyard Select

Winemaker's Notes

Dashe Cellars Zinfandel Vineyard Select is a classic California blend of grapes from two small-production vineyards in the river delta of Contra Costa and Clarks-burg CA. The cool breezes that flow up the river at night help moderate the hot days, giving the wine an acid balance that makes the wine smooth and drinkable. This lush Zinfandel is blended with a few “spice rack” grape varietals that add depth, minerals, and texture to the wine. We’ve intentionally created this wine as a bistro wine, made to pair beautifully with a wide range of foods and flavors. Made primarily of Zinfandel, we also blend the wine with four additional Mediterranean varietals: Teroldego, Tannat, Carignane, and Mourvedre, to create a juicy, rich, mouth-filling wine that shows round texture and a long, spicy finish.

We fermented each varietal of the wine separately, using the native yeasts resident on the grape skins. The wine was aged in French oak barrels, 100% of which were 1-year or older oak, since we prefer the flavor of the fruit to not be overpowered with the taste of oak. As we blended the wine, we added small amounts of additional varietals to bring bright fruit and complexity to the base blend of Zinfandel. The resulting wine absolutely bowled us over with its rich texture and depth of flavor. It’s a perfect wine to complement a wide range of foods—from lighter fare, to pastas, to grilled meats and rich stews.

Tasting Notes

Color: Reddish-purple

Aroma: Aromas of pomegranate, cherry, cassis, and raspberry, mixed with

hints of vanilla, chocolate, and slight peppery spice.

Taste: Lovely black raspberry and pomegranate fruit, bright acidity to

balance the sweet fruit flavors, chocolate, black pepper and clove spice, and a

long, lively finish of pomegranate, cherry, and hints of vanilla and chocolate.