Bottle of Gundlach Bundschu Zinfandel

Zinfandel

Sonoma Valley

Zinfandel certainly has a mind of its own and Rhinefarm’s Zin is no exception. Originally planted in 1976, our vines yield a juicy, yet gutsy wine bursting with red and black fruit. Only available through the Bacchus Club and direct from the winery.

Philosophy

Our Sonoma Valley Zinfandel has a mind of its own. Each cluster boasts everything from green grapes to raisins and everything in between and this variability makes it one of the most difficult grapes to know when to pick. Some years, Zinfandel acts as delicate as Pinot Noir and some years it’s as hearty as Merlot. So that’s what we do with this grape… we capture the best essence we can of the particular growing season. It’s thin-skinned like Pinot Noir so it’s quite sensitive to Mother Nature, even with the old vines we have the fortune to farm. We allow the grape to express itself and use 50% French and 50% American oak to capture the beauty and spice characteristics natural to this grape variety. It will continue to evolve in the bottle (at its own pace, mind you) for up to seven years.

Vineyards

Our 13 acres of Sonoma Valley Zinfandel on Rhinefarm were planted in1976 and grows in the upper benchland portion of the vineyard at an average elevation of 200 feet. It thrives in the rocky, well-drained conditions presented by the alluvial fan comprising the lower Mayacamas Mountain Range. Topsoils are 18 to 34 inches deep, consisting of Rhyolitic volcanic ash and alluvial wash. Beneath the topsoil is a mostly impervious layer of consolidated volcanic ash with occasional fractures for the roots to penetrate to deeper depths, producing wines with concentrated fruit flavors and firm structural qualities. Pervasive maritime breezes and long daylight exposure allow fruit to develop intense concentration while retaining vibrant structure. The vineyard typically yields 2.5 tons/acre.

To make the wine, we hand-harvest and then ferment with Prise de Mousse yeast strain. It enjoys 25 days of extended maceration to develop deeper, richer flavor. Using gentle pump-overs tailored by individual lot, we also employ louvers and screens to eliminate exposure to skins and seeds which might introduce off flavors. The wine ages an average of 15 months in 50% French and 50% American oak barrels, 35% new, before bottling and release.

Pairing Riffs

At Gundlach Bundschu, we make great wine but also like to have fun. We recommend enjoying our Sonoma Zinfandel in many ways:

  • While watching your football team win
  • For dinner at a friend’s house (with or without benefits)
  • Old-school Italian dishes
  • Bold cheeses like blue, aged Jack, Pecorino, Cheddar

specifications

Vintage:
2017
Wine Type:
Red Wine
Varietal:
Zinfandel
Varietal Composition:
  • 95% Zinfandel
  • 2% Cabernet Sauvignon
  • 2% Petit Verdot
  • 1% Malbec
Appellation:
Sonoma Coast
Acid:
TA: 0.59g/100mL
PH:
3.74
Barrel Aging:
  • 10 months
Alcohol %:
14.5%