Balletto Vineyards and Winery/JulyCelebration/Zinfandel and Syrah

Balletto Vineyards and Winery has produced many great Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays.They have two wines we will feature today,and they happen to be amazing additions to their portfolio.The surprise wines today are also favorites of Anthony Beckman also.Let's check out the tasting notes and open these wines as we have great food in our near future.2012 Zinfandel, Russian River Valley Estate With its ample red-berry fruit and classic Zinfandel spice, this distinct wine opens with bright aromas reminiscent of a freshly baked cherry pie. Its crisp and focused, yet maintains enough tannin, structure and weight to pull the wine through to a long and lasting finish. This is a great expression of Zinfandel grown in the cool southern tip of the Russian River Valley: fresh, bright, crisp and lovely. This deep purple and aromatic wine shows off heaps of fruit with equal measure cool-climate spicy and savory notes. Its nicely textured and incredibly juicy with bright acidity and a dark-chocolate and cherry profile that begs for the next sip. The finish is long and lasting with a lingering coffee touch and light tannins that add grip and structure. The light oak treatment lends viscosity and that helps balance and soothe the tannins inherent in the Syrah grape. Our Zinfandel is grown at our BCD Vineyard on the rolling hills that lead up to the Coastal mountain range. Cold fog flows in from the nearby Pacific Ocean in the evening and covers the vineyard until midmorning. Its common to have a 35 degree temperature swing from early-morning lows to peak afternoon highs after the fog burns away. In addition, the soils here are the ideal combination of sand from the mountain ranges and clays from the lower river valley. This particular sandy-loam soil composition holds just enough water to ripen our grapes yet still allows for good drainage. When we planted the BCD Vineyard, we were looking for a Zin clone that would be able to produce distinct wine in our foggy climate. Our search led us to the famed 1934 Papera Vineyard. We harvested tiny buds from these ancient and tangled vines and grafted the buds onto our newly planted shoots. So, although our vines were only 12 years old when this wine was made, the Zinfandel has a rich history and track record. We hope to keep that history going.2012 Syrah, Russian River Valley Estate This deep purple and aromatic wine shows off heaps of fruit with equal measure cool-climate spicy and savory notes. Its nicely textured and incredibly juicy with bright acidity and a dark-chocolate and cherry profile that begs for the next sip. The finish is long and lasting with a lingering coffee touch and light tannins that add grip and structure. The light oak treatment lends viscosity and that helps balance and soothe the tannins inherent in the Syrah grape. Because of this wines intense flavors and structure, it will pair well with a nice, grilled rib eye steak simply prepared with salt, pepper, and maybe a sprinkling of Herbes de Provence. Simple yet delicious. Vineyard: This Syrah was grown on our 14-year-old BCD vineyard (named after the original partnership of Balletto, Carlson and DeLoach) located on rolling hills that lead up to the Coastal mountain range. Cold fog flows in from the nearby Pacific Ocean in the late evening and covers the vineyard until midmorning. During the growing season, its possible to have a 40 degree daily temperature swing from early-morning lows to peak afternoon highs after the fog burns away. Soil: In addition to Mother Nature, the soils here are the ideal combination of sand from the mountain ranges and clays from the lower river valley. Its this mixture of climate and soil that allows the fruit to ripen at a slow-but-steady pace that develops the unique character of this wine. Winemaking: Syrah is the only varietal we make that goes through extended oak aging. We hold the wine in barrel for almost two years to allow the rough tannins and heavy astringency to mature into a more silky texture. During these 20 months, the wine makes dramatic and entertaining changes. As the tannins slowly combine and have less direct impact, the wine picks up a lush viscosity. In addition, the fruity aromas begin to fade and allow the spicy and earthly elements to play a larger role and define this cool-climate Syrah. We have just opened these and poured you a galls of each...care to join us?Cheers! Click here and join us,as we are starting the weekend off right.