Nose

An unmistakable Brandlin terroir always announces itself—crushed stone, bramble fruit, baking spices,
and mushroom/earth that all fluctuate in degree with the vintage.

Palate

The growing conditions translated into a wine that accentuates blackberry jam, “blueberries
and cream” (as one of my good friends and fellow winemakers used to say) cinnamon, rose petal and coffee.
The other virtue of the vintage, for reasons I can’t explain, is a wonderfully firm structure that supports all those
lush and juicy qualities. There is always a breadth and complexity that
distinguish it from the fat, jammy, simple style often associated with Zinfandel.

Growing Conditions

As for the 2003. An erratic wet spring and some summer time heat spikes finally settled down. A blast of
torrid heat in mid-September affected many vineyards, but Brandlin had enough time to recover before harvest
at the end of the month.

Bottling

Bottling Date: March 11, 2005.

Winemaking

Fermentation: 11 days, up to 87º
Maceration: 15 days.

Aging

16 months 100% French Oak, 40% new “Burgundian Coopers”