2018 Quasi (Late Harvest Zinfandel)

Late Harvest Zinfandel Port

• Varieties:
  100% Zinfandel (plus brandy)
• Appellation:
  Paso Robles
• Average brix at harvest:
  32.5
• Vineyard:
  Estate
• Alcohol:
  20.5%
• Residual sugar:
  7.3 g/100 mls
• Date bottled:
  October 23, 2020
• Cases produced:
  375
• Retail Price:
  $ 32.00

Growing conditions:
Late winter rainfall (all in March), light frost (whites) and cool spring/early summer produced a great fruit set. Judicious thinning and warm days lasting into October led to an outstanding late harvest with excellent quality and yields.

Winemaking:
Hand-harvested, destemmed and crushed into a stainless fermentor, then inoculated 24 hours later with d254 yeast. The must was pumped over twice daily for 8 days prior to the addition of brandy to halt fermentation. After pressing and settling, this wine was aged in French oak barrels for 18 months prior to bottling.

Tasting notes:
Intense, deep aromas of black raspberry jam with notes of chocolate and toffee. Soft tannins complimented with spicy oak and a lingering rich finish.

Cellaring:
While delightful now, this concentrated zinfandel port will continue to develop in the bottle with proper cellaring for another 10-15 years with a plateau of best drinkability from 2022-2032.Intense, deep aromas of black raspberry jam with notes of chocolate and toffee. Soft tannins complimented with spicy oak and a lingering rich finish.

Food selection:
Think romance!! This zinfandel port enhances many desserts especially chocolate or pungent cheeses. It continues to be our favorite wine for sipping by a roaring fire.