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The Nadeau Family Vintners' 2003 "Epic" Zinfandel is another powerhouse Zinfandel. This dense, brash Zinfandel is bound to appeal to those wine enthusiasts who enjoy our BIG Zins like the "Home Ranch" and the "Critical Mass." Big fruit aromas and flavors framed with just a subtle hint of American Oak make this one of our best ever! The grapes were fermented in small, open-top fermentors with commercial (proprietary) yeast for 7 days on their skins then pressed in a small, horizontal basket-press. This wine was racked using a nitrogen blanket and/or gravity. Aged in new to three year-old American Oak barrels until it was racked, filtered and bottled unfined in March, 2005.

Here's a variety which will be new to most of you. Alicante Bouschet was a widely-planted variety in California in this state's early heyday back in the 1950's. The "fighting varietal" boom of the late seventies and early eighties drove growers statewide to graft or re-plant to Merlot, Cabernet, and Chardonnay. There went most of the Alicante Bouschet…to be replaced with the "new kids on the block." We sourced these grapes from a delightful couple who own the Sequoia View Vineyards and B&B in the Sierra Foothills. This Alicante Bouschet benefited from American oak barrel-aging. These barrels have lent the 2002 Alicante Bouschet subtle oak nuances without diminishing the blackberry fruit and slight earthiness. This medium-bodied wine showcases

The grapes were fermented in small, open-top fermentors with commercial (proprietary) yeast for 9 days on their skins then pressed in a small, horizontal basket-press. This wine was racked using a nitrogen blanket and/or gravity. Aged in New to three year-old American Oak barrels until it was racked, filtered and bottled unfined in April 2005.

The Nadeau Family Vintners' 2003 Critical Mass Zinfandel is another big Nadeau Zinfandel brimming with raspberry and chocolate aromas. A wonderful crushed black pepper aroma complements the fruitiness as does the American and Hungarian oak used in the aging of this wine. The appealing black pepper and cherry/raspberry aromas follow through to the palate where the taster enjoys fruity flavors framed with an abundance of soft tannins and a slight oak nuance. The wine's balance is unaffected by the generous (16.3% !) alcohol.

The Nadeau Family Vintners' 2003 "Late Harvest" Zinfandel is another big, blockbuster Zin which is made for after-dinner quaffing. While somewhat sweet, the balance of sugar, acid, and oak have yielded a wine fit for chocolate truffles, strong blue-type cheeses, or a fine dark-wrapped cigar (for smoking, not eating!). Both lots of grapes for this wine were dry-farmed and head-pruned, and the wine reflects this. Its 100% Zinfandel. With its jammy, sweet cherry-fruit aromas and flavors, this wine is an ideal accompaniment to chocolate desserts and stimulating conversation.

American oak barrel-aging has lent the 2002 Mixed Black mildly aggressive oak tannins accompanied by subtle toasty-oak nuances. This well-structured wine features a full, round mouthfeel with dark fruit aromas and flavors. The Zinfandel in the blend really pulls the raspberry forward, while the Grenache lends the wine a slight earthiness and pepper character. It's no surprise that the Petite Sirah offers the blend dense, black color and a wonderful layer of soft tannin. This wine will certainly benefit from 1 - 3+ years in the cellar. Blended from 3 Barrels Zinfandel, 2 Barrels Petite Sirah and 1 Barrel Grenache

The Nadeau Family Vintners' 2003 Mourvedre is a complex, medium-bodied wine which offers dark fruit aromas and flavors married with a spice component which complements this wine and lends it more complexity. Soft-tannins and balanced acid make this Mourvedre a food-friendly wine--ready to accompany a wide variety of fare.

The Nadeau Family Vintners’ 2003 Petite Sirah is estate produced (which means we grew the grapes and made the wine here). About two thirds of the grapes are from trellised vines while the remainder of the fruit was harvested from the head-pruned vines which surround the tasting room and winery. The wine from these grapes is certainly dark with a surprising amount of fruitiness given that Petite Sirah has a reputation for being a cumbersome, tannic wine. Layers of fruit mingle with well-integrated oak, making this a wonderful wine to accompany strong cheeses and robust fare. The grapes were fermented in small, open-top fermentors with commercial (proprietary) yeast for 9 days on their skins then pressed in a small, horizontal basket-press. This wine was racked using a nitrogen blanket and/or gravity. Aged in one to three year-old American and Czech Oak barrels until it was racked, filtered and bottled.

A combination of French oak and American oak barrel-aging has lent the 2001 RVR lovely, soft oak tannins accompanied by subtle toasty-oak nuances. Aromas of blackberries, gunpowder, and wild game follow through into the mouth where jammy blackberry and black-cherry flavors mingle with the oak vanillin. 60% Syrah, 40% Grenache.

The Nadeau Family Vintners' 2003 Roussanne Central Coast is an amazing white wine. It is 80% Roussanne; 20% Viognier and is a great follow-up vintage to the 2002 Roussanne which was so spectacular. Roussanne is one of the more pronounceable Rhone varieties and is the one which has become our very favorite white wine grape. 80% Roussanne, 20% Viognier.

The Nadeau Family Vintners' 2003 Roussanne Central Coast is an amazing white wine. It is 80% Roussanne; 20% Viognier and is a great follow-up vintage to the 2002 Roussanne which was so spectacular. Roussanne is one of the more pronounceable Rhone varieties and is the one which has become our very favorite white wine grape. 80% Roussanne, 20% Viognier.

A combination of French oak and American oak barrel-aging has lent the 2001 Syrah lovely, soft oak tannins accompanied by subtle toasty-oak nuances. This is the most "French-styled" Syrah we've bottled. Aromas of blackberries and gunpowder are married with a mineral character we normally associate with cooler-vintage French Syrah. 100% Syrah.

The Nadeau Family Vintners' 2003 Viognier Central Coast is an amazing white wine. It is 100% Viognier and is a great follow-up vintage to the 2002 Viognier which was so spectacular. Viognier is one of the less pronounceable Rhone varieties and is the one which has become a favorite white wine for many American consumers who've grown bored with Chardonnay. These grapes were whole-cluster pressed using a pneumatic bladder press, cold-settled, inoculated with yeast and barrel fermented in a chilled Stainless Steel tank. The resulting wine was aged sur-lie, then barrels down to new and 1 year old French-oak barrels. This delightful wine was cold-stabilized then filtered and bottled in spring, 2004.

Loaded with blackberry jam and sweet raspberry aromas and flavors, this wine is another over-the-top, "ground-zero" Zinfandel from Nadeau Family Vintners. 100% Zinfandel.

Loaded with blackberry jam and sweet raspberry aromas and flavors, this wine is another from a diverse medley of Zinfandel wines from Nadeau Family Vintners.