2018 Sonoma Valley "Pagani Ranch" Alicante Bouschet
94% Alicante Bouschet
6% Zinfandel
Although Alicante Bouschet buds early, it’s an incredibly late ripener, on par with Mourvèdre. The variety, especially if old-vine, is also prone to leafroll virus which further delays ripening. Hence, when we picked 2.1 tons from these 96-year-old vines on October 20th at 25.2 Brix, we knew we had something special. And luckily, after using what we wanted for blending into our Pagani Ranch and Sonoma County Zinfandels, there was just enough left to do a small bottling on its own. Unfined and unfiltered.
Tasting Note:
Opaque purple. Wine simply doesn’t get any darker than this. A fascinating nose that is hard to describe. Clearly vinous but the fruit is hard to pinpoint. Plum? Maybe. Pomegranate? Perhaps in the way of unsweetened pomegranate syrup. Blackberry? Sure, why not. Regardless, intriguing. A pleasant note of feral earthiness as well. Structurally, a wine that relies upon its acidity instead of tannin. This will age well. When to enjoy? I’ll say 2026 to 2040 but please check our website’s drinkability chart for any updates. (MRO - 01/05/21)