2021 Zinfandel

BLEND: 75% Zinfandel, 20% Petite Sirah, 5% Barbera

ESTATE VINEYARD: winery Block planted in 1998 to Primitivo clone. Petite Sirah in 2011. Barbera in 1998 and 2018.

HARVEST: Sept 15-20, 2021

WINEMAKING: Destemed and fermented with native yeast in stainless steel tanks. Aged in French Oak barrels, 35% new.

Mick's thoughts:

Anyone familiar with Unti would say our Zinfandel program has never been better, and I wholeheartedly agree. The 2021 vintage, with its naturally low yield, and ideal growing conditions rendered the penultimate Unti-style, one that exceeds even our elevated expectations. 

Beginning in 2017, our Petite Sirah, which we planted next to the Benchland Syrah vineyard, really took our Zin game to another level. The site generates the color and structure along with intense berry fruit. This coincides with our Primitivo-clone vineyard, planted in 1998, improving with age. 

In 2021, nature did most of our thinning for us by yielding a naturally low crop set. The moderate growing season allowed us to pick fully ripe Zin at moderate sugars (for Zin at least). Finally, we were able to blend 5% Barbera from our recently planted new block. The Barbera is our signature Unti stamp with Zin, adding freshness and acidity.

Aaron Romano, in his recent piece in the Wine Spectator calls our Zin “gutsy and zesty.” Our 2021 is all of this with incredible richness. It is easily my favorite Zin in the last 20 years (’21 was that kind of year). Intense fruit, very dark (thank you Petite Sirah) and amazingly balanced (thank you Barbera). It is a fuller bodied version of another favorite vintage, 2018.

The response to our ’21 Zin in the tasting room confirms this. Customers are even more hyperbolic about the wine than yours truly. And that’s saying something.

500 cases produced