Nose
The Sterling Vineyards Rockpile Zinfandel is inviting with aromas of blackberry jam, baked berry pie, cured meat and black pepper spice.
Palate
Bold, dark fruit, black pepper, cocoa, and toasted oak spices join big tannins and red fruit tones that lends elegance and aging potential. The powerful, mouth filling palate has bold flavors of blackberry, raspberry, sweet oak and spice. The wine is round, with a firm yet supple and approachable structure.
Winemaking
Because Zinfandel’s large clusters can develop unevenly, we allowed the fruit to hang on the vine, patiently waiting for even cluster maturity and the development of rich, jammy fruit character. Gentle hand harvesting and cold soaking of the grapes prior to fermentation preserved their intricate nuances. During fermentation, we performed regular pump-overs several times a day, keeping skins and juice in constant contact for maximum extraction of aromas and flavors.
Aging
We aged the wine in French and American oak barrels for 18 months, contributing both structure and spice to the overall wine.
