Zinfandel “Cortina” Dry Creek Valley 2019 – Seghesio

The grapes to produce the Zinfandel “Cortina” Dry Creek Valley Seghesio macerated between 8-12 days with daily punch downs before being transferred to barrel to complete alcoholic fermentation and undergo malolactic fermentation. They were aged for 14 months in 100% French oak, 20% of which was new before blending and bottling.

The majority of the fruit for this wine comes from Chen’s Vineyard in the Dry Creek Valley which was planted in 1972 by fourth-generation Ted Seghesio and his father Ed. The site soil is diverse, with sandy soil along the creek and a gravelly loam called “Cortina” in the rest of the vineyard. With mornings shrouded in fog and afternoon tempered by ocean breezes, this vineyard ripens late giving fruits with concentrated flavours and refreshing acidity.

For over a century, the Seghesio family has played an integral role in the evolution of the region’s viticulture. The winery was established in 1895, when Italian immigrant Edoardo Seghesio planted his first Zinfandel vines in what is now Seghesio’s ‘Home Ranch’ vineyard in Alexander Valley. Edoardo and his wife Angela continued growing vines during the Prohibition years, and were the only winery in the region to survive that era. Seghesio’s reputation for world class Zinfandel was cemented under the guidance of third generation Pete Seghesio and his cousin Ted Seghesio in the 1980s. Italian consultant winemaker Alberto Antonini’s influence can be seen in the juicy, approachable style of Zinfandel that has become Seghesio’s hallmark. Seghesio owns 120 hectares of sustainably-farmed vineyards across several renowned appellations in Sonoma, including Dry Creek Valley, Alexander Valley and Russian River Valley.