2017 Block 10 Zinfandel

Mind blowing, sexy, explosive zinfandel. This wine
takes you on a hedonistic journey that will linger
for years. 93 pts | Wine Enthusiast

Variety: 93% zinfandel, 5% petit verdot, 2% syrah

Appellation: Dry Creek Valley

Sensory Notes: Alluring and bold aromatics of kirsch and maraschino cherry are a worthy prelude to this wine’s rich texture and full body. Lively black raspberry teases the tongue, while soft floral notes linger in the background. This wine is silky smooth, with well-integrated tannins and lively acidity to match the full finish.

Vineyard Notes: The richest, most decadent of our barrel select series, Block 10 is a celebration of Bella’s old vine zinfandel. These storied, ancient vines produce just a handful of clusters each, resulting in ultra-concentrated grapes that make for a mouth-filling showstopper that Robert Parker has rated 96 points and calls “as good as Zinfandel can get ... world-class.” Plentiful rain began the 2017 growing season, enriching the soils and restoring the old vine’s deep roots. A warmer late summer provided an opportunity for the grapes to fully ripen, with fruit for this wine being picked between September 14-30. For this vintage, we combined our estate block of hillside old vine fruit with zinfandel from the Dry Creek Valley floor, where long days and full sun exposure results in zinfandel that showcases rich luxurious texture and ripe raspberry notes.

Vinification Notes: Plentiful rain began the 2017 growing season, enriching the soils and restoring the old vine’s deep roots. A warmer late summer provided an opportunity for the grapes to fully ripen, with Lily Hill’s blocks of zinfandel, syrah and petit verdot being picked between September 14-30. The fruit was sorted and destemmed, with an average of 15 days of time spent on the skins and two pumpovers a day until it was pressed at dryness. The wine was barrelled-down into a combination of 85% French, 10% Hungarian and 5% American oak, 20% new, for 16 months in our wine caves.

Cellar Recommendations: Enjoy this wine through 2027.