2004 Hartford Court Zinfandel Dina's Vineyard

Although this cuvee was freshly bottled the week I tasted it, it performed fabulously well. The 2004 Zinfandel Dina’s Vineyard (95-year old vines) displays a dense purple color along with huge flavor intensity, but its extremely high acidity is almost painful. Mike Sullivan told me it was all natural, and it was just the way the vineyard came in in 2004. I really do not know what to make of this wine. I suspect the high acid will allow it to age well past ten years, but whether it will ever completely open and be totally balanced is questionable. The Zinfandels, fashioned from old head-pruned Russian River vineyards, are 100% destemmed, but as many whole berries as possible are utilized in the wines’ fermentations, and the wines are aged in French oak. In terms of complexity, richness, and quality, Hartford Court’s Zins rank alongside those of Turley Wine Cellars. Tel. (800) 588-0234