Great New Releases From Pedroncelli Winery/Sonoma County

I have enjoyed some great new wines from Pedroncelli Winery lately.This winery has been making wine in Sonoma County for many decades and now has caught the eye of wine lovers and writers all over the world.Let's check out a few new releases from this family owned winery. First let's open the new Zinfandel From Bushnell Vineyard.Located on the eastern hillsides of Dry Creek Valley, the 22-acre Bushnell Vineyard has been closely related to the Pedroncelli family for over 50 years. Winery founder John Sr. purchased the property in 1945, and, at the time, it was planted to Zinfandel, Petite Sirah and Carignane. The vineyard was sold to son-in-law Al Pedroni in the 1950s and he tended the vineyard for over 40 years. Al’s daughter Carol Bushnell inherited the vineyard in the 1990s and she and her husband Jim now farm it. They grow Zinfandel and Petite Sirah. Winemaking The 2013 season had ideal growing conditions with warm days and cool nights that allowed the zinfandel grapes to reach full ripeness with balanced acids. The grapes were harvested on September 10 and fermentation took place in small capacity stainless steel tanks which lends better skin-to-juice ratio. Daily pump overs of the juice over the cap of grape skins extracts color, flavor and tannin. The young wine was transferred to American oak barrels to age for fourteen months. The time in the barrel added complexity, creating a softer, smoother wine. Tasting Notes The bouquet of red berry, spice and a hint of smokiness combines with flavors of sweet red cherry, cracked black pepper and dark chocolate. Round and velvety with smooth tannins and a sweet lingering finish, this wine has all the classic Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel features. A rich, complex and well-balanced wine. It will cellar nicely for 5–8 years.Let's open a bottle and enjoy this great wine! Next we have another wine that has become a new favorite of mine. This wine is called Wisdom! Longevity instills it in each generation. Sensing the right varietal and aspect of the vines is borne of a lifetime tilling the soil. Discerning and experienced hands craft the wine from vine to barrel to bottle and when these elements come together it is called Wisdom. A tribute to John Pedroncelli. Vineyard Background Located 2 miles west of the winery, we purchased the property in the 1960s. Comprised of 5 acres on the west slope of the Dry Creek Valley along West Dry Creek Road. Planted to Cabernet Sauvignon since 1965, a recent replanting included the addition of Malbec. Positioned well, it receives the sunlight and degree days needed to fully ripen Cabernet Sauvignon. The rocky loamy soil is a perfect place to put down roots. Just the right amount of fog rolls in each evening during the warm summer months to maintain the right combination to cool the vines and preserve the delicate balance between acid and sugar. 50 years of growing Cabernet on in this soil, in this microclimate brings unparalleled Wisdom. The Wine 2012 was an ideal growing season with mild temperatures and opportune warming trends to ripen grapes to full maturity. Yields and fruit quality were exceptional. Cabernet Sauvignon grapes from this block were harvested the last week of September and the Malbec was as well. After crushing, the grapes are cold soaked for 48 hours, then inoculated with Bordeaux yeast strain and fermented in a small stainless steel tank; pump-over of the fermenting juice over the cap daily, for extraction of color, tannins and flavor. Pressed, stored and then transferred to small French oak barrels for aging. Sixteen months gave the wine a mellow quality and added complexity. An additional 8 months in the bottle before release brought an especially smooth drinkability to the wine. I had a perfect pairing with this wine!Duck Curry and fried rice are a great combo,with both these wines.We saved you a seat,please join us!Cheers!