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What We Say 2006 Montafi Vineyard Old Vine Zinfandel
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Mission Codename: The End of an Era
Operative: Agent White
Objective: Secure a limited allocation of the Starry Night Montafi Vineyard Old Vine Zinfandel for our operatives.
Mission Status: Accomplished!
Current Winery: Starry Night Winery
Wine Subject: 2006 Montafi Vineyard Old Vine Zinfandel
Winemaker: Wayne Hansen
Backgrounder:
Zinfandel is often aptly named California’s grape. Its history and lore and the wines that result are often the makings of legend. In this case, Starry Night’s winemaker selected the best old-vine grapes from a number of the Russian River’s best vineyards to pay tribute to grape growing and cultivating legacy of Tom Feeney. Many of these vineyards have been planted for nearly 100 years. The Russian River Valley is ideally suited for red grape varietals. Its early morning fog and coastal breezes result in a cooler climate than the neighboring wine growing regions.
Tom Feeney Ranch was made famous by the exceptional De Loach’s Old Vine Zinfandels . The vineyards on the ranch, including the Montafi Vineyard, are considered among the finest for Old Vine Zinfandel in all of California, and were originally planted in the 1920s. Tom purchased these Zinfandel vineyards from De Loach in the late 90’s, adding to his old vine estate which contain the Piner, River and Montafi vineyards. These grapes are among the most sought after, and once you’ve tasted wines from this magnificent vineyard you know why.
Wine Spies Tasting Profile:
Look – Deep, dark purple with dark ruby hues and a dark but clear core. Deep garnet and ruby edges and evenly spaced long thin legs grace the glass when swirled.
Smell – Classic Tom Feeney Ranch aromas of wild bramble berry and wild fennel balanced over layers of oak, spicy white pepper and a touch of oak.
Feel – Smooth and dry with supple tannins and easy acidity, this medium bodied wine is easy to drink with only a touch of tartness at the back of the palate.
Taste – Wild berries including raspberry, blackberry and a touch of plum with well integrated flavors of fennel, earthy minerality, oak, and white pepper. A touch a tart fruit and spicy pepper hits you at the back of the palate that lingers through to the finish.
Finish – This wine finishes clean and of medium length with hints of wild berries, plum and spice.
Conclusion – Like the other Starry Night Winery Zinfandels we have tasted, the 2006 Montafi Vineyard Old Vine Zinfandel does not disappoint. Balanced and well integrated, this wine’s exceptional fruit really shines through without overpowering tannins or acidity. Lovers of old vine Zinfandel will enjoy the classic aromas and flavors and those who generally stray away, will most definitely enjoy the finesse of this exceptional (both in taste and value) wine.
Mission Report:
Starry Night Winery, a relative newcomer, is definitely a winery to watch. Opening in 1999 with its first vintage in 2000, it could not have achieved such success in such a short time without true attention to detail and the best fruit. And that’s where today’s selection comes in…
Tom Feeney Ranch was made famous by the exceptional De Loach’s Old Vine Zinfandels from the Barbieri and Papera vineyards. These two vineyards are considered among the finest for Old Vine Zinfandel in all of California, and were originally planted in the 1930s. Tom purchased these Zinfandel vineyards from De Loach in the late 90’s, adding to his old vine estate which contain the Piner, River and Montafi Vineyards. These grapes are among the most sought after, and once you’ve tasted wines from this magnificent vineyard you know why.
Characteristically and classically Zinfandel with exceptional balance between its dark cherry fruit, both black and white pepper spice, and its toasty, earthy and bramble-bush base.
This is truly how I love my Zinfandels!
To truly experience this wine and its exceptional fruit, you just have to taste it and experience it for yourself.
But it is with a heavy heart, that I have to report that today’s wine is one of the final vintages from this exceptional vineyard. This year’s vintage, 2008, will be the last vintage of Old Vine Zinfandel. All the more reason to stock up. Truly, the end of an era…
Cheers!
Wine Spies Vineyard Check:
The location of the approximate location of the Montafi Vineyard can be seen in this satellite photo.
What the Winery Says
Starry Night Winery
About This Wine:
This Old Vine Zinfandel comes from the Montafi Vineyard that was planted in the early part of the last century. Montafi Vineyard is one of the component vineyards of our Tom Feeney Ranch Russian River Valley Old Vine Zinfandel. These vines are dry farmed and produce a very limited crop averaging between one and two tons per acre. This results in deep and complex fruit and spice flavors including raspberry, cherry and cassis, with hints of anise and white pepper. Aged over 20 months in both French and American oak barrels.
About The Winery:
Starry Night Winery became a bonded winery in 1999 and our first commercially available wines were introduced in November of 2000. The story of how we came into existence though starts many years earlier when the four of us, Wayne Hansen, Bruce Walker, Mike Miller and Skip Granger started making wine at an amateur level. Our motivation for this came from a shared life long passion for wine and an increasing disdain for the over priced and often mass-produced wines found in the market.
In our first year we crushed several hundred pounds of grapes and produced about fifty cases of Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay in Wayne’s basement. This worked well since with his food processing background, Wayne was destined to become our winemaker. By combining the best of both new and traditional methods we found that we could make outstanding wine. We also spent time researching wine making methods, taking classes at UC Davis and received the advice of some very helpful commercial winemakers.
We are excited to announce that as of December, 2006, Nimrod Kovacs, a citizen of Hungary and the US, joined the management team of Starry Night Winery. Mr. Kovacs has a substantial background in both domestic and international marketing, communications, advertising and management. He has also been instrumental in the growth of cable and satellite media delivery in Eastern and Central Europe. Nimrod is the owner of Monarchia Winery of Eger, Hungary, the new sister winery of Starry Night Winery! You can learn more about Monarchia Winery in the Newsletter section or in the Links & Associations section of the website.
At Starry Night Winery, our goal is to produce the finest wines possible that accentuate the regions from where the grapes are best grown. We currently produce Chardonnay, Syrah and Zinfandels from the Russian River Valley, a Sauvignon Blanc from Dry Creek Valley, Zinfandel from Amador and Lake Counties and Zinfandel and Rhone varietals from the Lodi appellation. In 2006 we also produced a Petite Sirah from the Lodi appellation and a Cabernet Franc from High Valley which will be released during 2007.
Many people ask us why we are in Novato and what kind of grapes do we grow there? Well; we don’t grow any grapes. What we do is find the best grapes and growers that allow us to produce the finest wines. We have now worked with one of our growers for nine harvests and two of our growers for six harvests. We have added seveal new growers in the last three years and we are very excited about sharing our new wines and new releases with you!
Winemaking:
Our primary focus at Starry Night Winery is Zinfandel, which accounts for over 60% of our production. We think Zinfandel, which is uniquely American, is not only a great wine, but also offers a significant value when compared to many other grape varietals. In 2001 we became a member of Zinfandel Advocates and Producers (ZAP), which promotes Zinfandel education worldwide. Bruce currently serves as Vice President of ZAP and is a member of ZAP’s Board of Directors.
We are also excited by Rhone varietals, which we believe are making significant gains in popularity. We make a Russian River Syrah, and in 2001 introduced our Adara, which is a blend of wines made from grapes found in the Rhone region of France. Because we love Chardonnay, we also produce a barrel fermented, 100% malolactic, and well balanced Chardonnay.
Viticulture:
The vastness of Sonoma County with its diverse climate and topography allows growers to produce grapes for distinct wines from the same grape variety. Various areas are known by Appellations. Appellations reflect unique climate, soil and other conditions which tend to produce wines unique to those areas.
With the best combination of natural resources and climate, Starry Night Winery’s key viticulture philosophy is to maintain a small berry size to more concentrated fruit. Our grapes realize bud break often several weeks earlier than other Sonoma Country Wineries, promoting a longer growing season. The rocky soils, comprised of silt loam on top of broken shifts allow the vineyards to deplete water early in the season so there is greater concentration in the berry by the time of harvest.
Our viticulture practices also reflect our desire to put forth optimal flavor in all of our wines. These practices sophisticated trellising system, over cropping early in the season then thinning later in the season to contribute to pH and acid balance and promote higher skin surface to grape ratio.
Technical Analysis:
Varietals: 100% Montafi Vineyard Zinfandel
Harvest Date: October 26, 2006
Sugar at Harvest: Montafi – 26.1º brix,
PH: 3.59
TA: .67g/100ml
Alcohol: 14.8%
Cooperage: 40% new American oak barrels, 29% new French barrels, 31% select one to three year old American and French oak barrels
Production: 220 cases
