sweet, sweet leona

[rone]

Linne Calodo: Webmasteurish Web site, great wine. I am currently enjoying their Sweet Leona (i quote their page here, as linking to it proves to be a bad thing due to the crass design):

Sweet Leona
Essence of dryfarmed hillside Zinfandel. Beet red, huge aromatics of cracked pepper, black fruits, blood and roasted herbs. Mouthfilling sweetness with beautifully balanced bright acidity. Finish that never stops!

Vineyard:
100% Leona's Vineyard.

Season Date:
Cool dry weather, extremely long hangtime. Zinfandel picked December 23rd.

Yields:
Zinfandel cropped at .5 tons per acre.

Harvest Brix:
Zinfandel picked with a brix of 45, pH of 3.55, and TA of .75.

Vinification:
The Zinfandel was destemmed into open top fermenters. 6 days of cold soak, 21 days of primary fermentation, no extended maceration. Cap was either punched down by hand or given a rack and return treatment. The wine was gently pressed into 60 gallon oak barrels, all 6 years old. Wine was bottled after 17 months total in oak, unfined.

Alcohol:
16.2% by volume

Release Date:
Spring 2001

Case Production:
319 cases, 375 ml.

High alcohol, high sugar, just the way i like it. I'm just smelling it, it's so good. Now i'm tasting it. Ahhhhh.