Lot 310 Philosopher's Stone

It is rare to have a tasting room staff qualified enough to determine the final blend of a limited-production wine, and even rarer to have a winemaker capable of letting go, but such is the case at Cinnabar where a group of well-educated employees — some credentialed sommeliers — decided what went into the bottle.

The union of plush zinfandel with the hardy structural components of teroldego creates a synergy between California and Old World heritage, and simultaneously, manifests a unique spin on the “attraction of opposites”.

Considered a Croatian native by geneticists, zinfandel has been a favorite variety of Italian-American vintners in California where it has been used to make red wines since the 1880s. On the other hand, teroldego is a full-bodied red grape from the Trentino-Alto Adige region of Northern Italy that produces robust wines with a solid foundation of balanced acidity and tannin.

In this red-blend interpretation of “yin and yang”, the brooding teroldego provides big jammy characteristics that are counterbalanced by the bright red-fruit components of zinfandel.

Tasting Notes

This wine shows an exotic nose of cassis, blackberry, cinnamon, jasmine and cigar box with petit four-like layers of dark fruit, spice, espresso and toasted oak on the palate. It is supported by mature husky tannins and lively acidity, and finishes with ripe berry, baked ham and spicy flavors.

Winemaking

• Hand harvested 9.18.04 (teroldego) and 10.4.06 (zin) in small bins
• Three days of cold soaking to enhance the color and aromatics
• 7 – 10 days of fermentation in half-ton, open-top bins
• The must was punched down 3 times daily for max flavor extraction
• Aged in French and American oak barrels (33% new): 56 months for teroldego, 32 months for zinfandel
• Bottled unfiltered to preserve the varietal integrity

Vineyards

California AVA

Technical Data

Varietal Content

67% zinfandel
33% teroldego

Finished Alcohol

15.0%

Total Acidity

0.63mg per 100ml
pH: 3.58

Release Date

September 2009

Downloads

Lot 310 Philosopher’s Stone Product Sheet
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