2006 Simoncini Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley

A small vineyard tucked into the hills west of Dry Creek Valley, the Simoncini Vineyard is the result of collaboration between Ulises Valdez and Ken Simoncini. The goal was to create a vineyard modeled after the Dry Creek Zinfandel vineyards of old. Budwood was taken from the 100-year-old St. Peters' Vineyard (also the source of the Rockpile Road Vineyard and Lancel Creek Vineyard budwood), and was grafted on to St. George rootstock. A bit of Petite Syrah was added as well, a frequent component of the field blends of days past.

The vines were planted in 2003, and the first crop was harvested in 2005. The grapes reached all the maturity and ripeness needed to produce a big, extracted Zinfandel reminiscent of the St. Peter's Church Vineyard. So much so, in fact, Ulises and consulting winemaker Paul Hobbs decided to make the wine in Late Harvest style. The 2006 was a small yet excellent harvest, yielding an intense, concentrated wine.

Availability-The 2006 Simoncini Zinfandel is available only from the winery.

Production Statistics:
Varietal:	Zinfandel
Vineyard Source:	Simoncini
Harvest Date:	September 20, 2006
Bottling Date:	May 5, 2008
Release Date:	February 1, 2009
Brix at Harvest:	26.7
Alcohol:	15.5%
Cases Produced:	150
Consulting Winemaker:	Jeff COhn