Premium Zinfandel
(Outstanding)
Summary
A crushed fruit fermentation wine made with heavily sorted fruit, Zinfandel ripens very unevenly. After a cold soaking to extract additional color, a mid-range to warm fermentation will begin using cultured yeast in neutral vessels. Pump overs and punch downs are common to increase extraction. Post-fermentation maceration on the skins is common to extract some tannin and additional color. After pressing, wine is racked into barrel (often a large portion new American oak) where malolactic conversion and maturation occurs, adding oak flavors and texture, before light fining, filtering, and bottling in glass commonly under cork.