2021 Radio-Coteau Zinfandel Lemorel

Expressive and lifted, the 2021 Zinfandel Lemorel Estate delivers ripe aromas of candied flowers, mixed berries, and peppery spices. Medium to full-bodied, it’s dry and juicy, with up-front fruit, a good deal of structure, and fresh acidity. It’s vibrant and energetic, with a lot of tension to balance out the fruit. Eric Sussman began Radio-Coteau in 2002, focusing on cool-climate sites along the north Sonoma Coast and the Anderson Valley in Mendocino. Eric purchased the current winery home in 2012, and they currently have 22 acres under vine across from the Charles Heintz Vineyard as well as six acres of apples from which they produce a hard cider. Marking their 22nd vintage, they are currently producing biodynamically farmed Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Zinfandel and have been Demeter certified since 2018. Eric spent several vintages in France prior to coming to California, working for Baron Philippe de Rothschild in Bordeaux, as well as Domaine Comte Armand and Domaine Jacques Prieur in Burgundy, and his wines certainly carry an Old World sensibility. All the wines undergo native fermentations and are bottled and racked in-house without fining or filtration.