2017 Miro Cellars Old Vines Zinfandel Hemar Vineyard (Sold Out)

Tasting Notes

Vineyard: Hemar Vineyard is situated on the rolling hills between Highway 101 and Dutcher Creek Road in the Alexander Valley. The ages of the vines vary from 45 to over 100 years old. Decomposed rock and brick-red Manzanita type soils are very well suited for low pH Zins with deep red color and robust, age-worthy structure.

The Vintage: What a year! We had it all in 2017. The year began with record winter rainfall, followed by a mild spring, scorching summer and—finally—cooler weather in mid-September. That respite helped bring order to the harvest. It did not last long. Rain showers turned to thunderstorms in late September creating a new challenge for the farmers. The year started with an average crop size estimate, but after the extreme heatwave, the farm bureau reduced the average to low due to small berry size and weight reduction caused by dehydration. The good news is that the above conditions increased the concentration of color and aroma and the overall quality of the wines.

Winemaking: Miro processed the fruit in the gentlest way possible, hand-sorted and fermented in small open-top fermenters with as few hand punch-downs per day as necessary. As usual, the most effort was in extracting as much of the beautiful Zin aromas without the harsh tannins.