Inglenook Edizione Pennino Zinfandel 1998

Normally we blend upwards of 10% Cabernet Franc into our Pennino to increase and broaden the aromatics. But with the 1998, we found that the most engaging blend was the one with the highest percentage of Zinfandel. The result is a true to varietal Zinfandel, with huge briar zin spice and a luscious sweet brambly palate. We age the Zinfandel in oak barrels for eighteen months. The first twelve months in new French oak and the last six months it is racked into new American oak. Each year we have increased the amount of new American Oak barrels for this last phase of barrel aging.

Vineyard Notes
The Edizione Pennino Zinfandel comes from all of our Zinfandel vineyards: Cowbarn, Woodshed, Building B and Garden. All these vineyards are dry farmed and were planted in the late 70s on St. George rootstock. These plantings are on the reddish soils next to the mountain where conifer forests were at one time. It is perhaps the unique soil that gives Edizione Pennino Zinfandel such wonderful, lifted aromatics. In any given year, one vineyard may play a larger role than another. What sets the Pennino grapes apart is the selection and harvest process. We pick all Zinfandel vineyards on average three times. That means that we go through at harvest and pick only the ripe clusters on the ripest vines. The remaining grapes are picked at a later date. Once all the wines are made, the densest and most aromatic lots will form the Edizione Pennino blend.