2021 Ciapusci Vineyard ‘Lunatic’ Old Vine Zinfandel, Mendocino Ridge
Grapes: Zinfandel
Vineyards: Ciapusci Vineyard was planted in 1870 on the Mendocino Ridge appellation at 1,800 ft elevation. This coastal site is planted to own-rooted, low-yielding Zinfandel. Five generations of the Ciapusci Family have tended to this breathtaking property–Shawn Ciapusci is its current steward. These grapes are dry-farmed and grown high up in the fog line on the Mendocino Coast. The only way to get there is along the rugged Fish Rock Road from Yorkville or the coast. It’s an intense drive but the views alone are worth the struggle up the mountain.
AVA: Mendocino Ridge
Method: The grapes were whole cluster foot-crushed, left on the skins for 7 weeks, and pumped over daily until dry for 3 weeks. It then underwent extended maceration for 4 weeks and then elevage for 11 months in 500L neutral oak puncheons. Single racking into the bottling tank. As always - native yeast fermentation, unfined, unfiltered, no added SO2.
ABV: 14%
Case Production: 430
Bottling Date: July 2022
Release Date: October 2022
Many of you are familiar with Lunatic, as we’ve made a Syrah under this label in 2018 and 2019. As of the 2021 vintage and beyond, the Lunatic label will be Zinfandel instead of Syrah. We’ve always been enamored with this variety for a number of reasons. It is truly a classic California variety, with a lot of old school sensibility. We wanted to make Lunatic to express a more serious side of Zinfandel. Lunatic comes from an 8-acre planting from 1870. The grapes themselves have an inherent tobacco spice that shows through in the wine, along with a vibrant blueberry and violet burst of flavor. It has quite a bit of tannin and structure, so we suggest enjoying this wine with a hearty meal. The wine is savory and fruity all at the same time and we are really proud of this wine and how it turned out. Serve this wine at cellar temp (58-62 degrees) but not too cold or you’ll lose a lot of aromatics and over-accentuate the tannin.
Tastes like ripe blueberries, dried violets, burnt orange & sweet tobacco.