The UNTI ethos, as Sonoma county’s premier Italian and Rhône varietal estate, is to follow our instincts and inspirations creating our own path. Admittedly, I have contributed to this preconceived notion by cheerleading these kind of wines. Yet, if it weren’t for Zinfandel, we wouldn’t have settled in Dry Creek Valley.
George, Linda, and I were drawn to Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel producers for many reasons that I have no doubt shared with you in the past. We were drawn to the family-owned and operated winemakers who offered full-bodied but fruity Zinfandel that always included Petite Sirah. On many levels that phenomenon still exists to this day.
George’s interest in exploring Dry Creek Zin is easy to understand since Zinfandel was his dad’s favorite wine to drink and make. This was quite common among Italian immigrants here in California. George recalls harvesting Zinfandel with his father.
UNTI ZIN Points of distinction:
- Primitivo-clone, planted in 1998. Produces darker fruit flavors, color, and tannin structure.
- Replanting Petite Sirah on the Benchland site has resulted in a wine that adds color, body, texture, AND intense blueberry/blackberry fruit. Prior to 2013, our Petite Sirah was in a poor location between the winery and the creek.
- Aggressive crop-thinning facilitates more even ripening, concentrated flavors, and solid tannin structure. UNTI Zins age well (4-7 years).
- We use only high quality, artisan French oak barrels which integrate wine better than other types, especially American Oak, which is unfortunately used by many DCV Zin producers. The UNTI oak regimen highlights purity of fruit and vineyard character.
We planted prominent Mediterranean wine grapes because we love these wines, believing our climate might help us make wines rivaling the best European versions. Though Zinfandel, called Primitivo in Italy and Crljenak or Tribidrag in Croatia, is not considered one of Europe’s most distinguished or complex wines, it has shown its potential is just that in Dry Creek Valley. The methods we’ve employed to make legitimate Rhône and Italian varietal wines have helped us make a Zinfandel that is more complex and balanced, than anywhere in Europe.
The past three vintages, 2017, 2018, and 2019, best exemplify our 20-plus year quest to make refined Zinfandel. As such, it is a golden age for UNTI Zin. In 2019, the Zinfandel (Primitivo clone) was so good we didn’t need to use Barbera for freshness and acidity. Furthermore, our Petite Sirah is stronger than ever, providing more than just color and tannin.
The ’19 Zin is quintessential Dry Creek. Full bodied, expressive, and balanced. It will most certainly age nicely over the next 5 years. It sort of makes us feel like a great jazz musician who rediscovers his roots, but with knowledge that only comes with time and experience.
Our February/March release price is a phenomenal value for upper echelon Zin from Dry Creek. Who says you must sacrifice quality for everyday wine? Slow Wine awarded our 2018 zinfandel "Best Everyday wine".
Reg. $38 a bottle New Release offer $32.
20% case discount applies to special pricing for a net bottle price of $25.60
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Syrah to UNTI is what Cabernet is to most other California wineries—mainstream stuff. Maybe that is why we tend to overlook the progress we have made with this bottling since our winemaker Jason Valenti’s arrival in 2015. The 2019 vintage from our winery parcel Syrah continues that strong streak.
The 2019 Syrah comes from our Creekside Block, planted in 1998. This is the same clone as our Benchland Syrah, so it tends to show some of the “feral” (Jason’s favorite description) side of the variety. However, the Creekside Block is our coolest microclimate for Syrah on our 60 acres. As such, it always has bright fruit and spice, which is similar to Northern Rhône Syrah—particularly from my favorite appellation, Cornas.
Jason attributes his success with our Creekside Syrah to vine age (21 years), vineyard site, lower yields, measured whole cluster in the fermenters, and well selected French oak barrels. All of which amplify the blueberry/blackberry/spice elements of Syrah, which is more Rhône-like. We have consistently received high ratings from the Wine Spectator for this bottling since 2015, and it is easy to see why.
Upon tasting this Syrah from 2015 through 2019 we came away with a couple conclusions:
- As with UNTI's Zin, our Syrah from the winery parcel keeps getting better, regardless of the vintage.
- At under $40, it is a great value, both within our portfolio and the overall Syrah category.
While the 2019 Syrah is already showing well, it has the structure to age well for another 6 to 8 years.
$38 reg $35 New release offer expires March 15th
20% case discount applies to special pricing for a net bottle price of $28
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Currently
Released + Pouring
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