Doug Nalle worked extensively as a winemaker (Jordan, Souverain, Quivira) before striking out on his own in 1984 to make finelycrafted Zinfandel from Dry Creek Valley grapes. (His experience at Quivira in Dry Creek, which focuses on Zin, must have prepared him well.) With over 50,000 acres planted, Zinfandel is California/’s premier red varietal by acreage. But there is Zin and Zin. The bulk of it goes to making fast-turnover white Zinfandel. Real Zinfandel, however, is a revelation, criss-crossing the line between dry and juicy, carrying off improbably high levels of alcohol and ripeness without losing grip, exploring complex aromatic registers of tar, leather and spice. Nalle uses four Dry Creek Valley grape sources, featuring old vines, some pre-1900, from low-yielding bench land soils. His Zinfandel is a field blend (different varietals planted in the same vineyard and harvested together to make a composite wine) which includes some 10% Petite Sirah and 4% other grapes (Carignane, Syrah, Alicante Bouchet and Gamay).
A supple Pinot Noir, a fine marriage of concentration and finesse, is new to our list this year, although it is already the winery’s ninth vintage of this wine, sourced since the beginning from the Hopkins Ranch in Russian River Valley.
Doug and his son Andrew use French, not American, oak barrels and their emphasis has always been on elegance, moderate alcohol (or relatively so by California standards) and a balanced fruit style.
If you would like to know more please visit www.nallewinery.com.
