The inaugural vintage of Flycatcher consists of old vine Zinfandel from vines planted in 1963 at the Five Starr ranch in the Mokelumne River sub-AVA of Lodi, steeply-sloped Petite Sirah and aromatic, earthy Merlot from a duo of unlikely vineyards in the Yorkville Highlands area of Mendocino, and some fabulous Syrah from anoutcropping of volcanic tufa soil in the Carneros district of Napa. Warm, generous fruit from the Zin combines with great backbone and spiciness from the Sirah-Syrah sisters. Merlot (grown at a high elevation) adds acidity and an earthy-floral top-note that helps invite the next sip.
All lots were destemmed, crushed lightly, and fermented in stainless steel at our home in Rutherford. With the broad array of sources, picking started on September 6th but didn't finish until October 18th. After finishing their fermentations, the Flycatcher lots were aged in a combination of 2- to 5-year-old oak barrels for 8 months, with two gentle rackings. No new oak was used in Flycatcher.
750mL Bottles
