Once & Future 2020 Zinfandel, Dickerson Vineyard, Rutherford, Napa Valley

Once & Future 2020 Zinfandel, Dickerson Vineyard, Rutherford, Napa Valley

Item Number: 18055

UPC: None

Country: USA
Region: California
Sub Region: Napa Valley
Appellation/AVA: Rutherford
Estate Grown Wine: No
Vineyard Designation: Dickerson Vineyard
Vintage: 2020
Grape(s): 100% Zinfandel
Type: Wine - Red
Bottle Size: 750 ml
Pack: 12
Closure: Cork
Total Acidity: 6.0 g/L
pH: 3.62
Soil Type: Bale loam
Case Production: 201

Grower Notes: "Bill Dickerson was a member of my father’s tasting group when I was kid. He was a psychiatrist, a farmer, and a friend, but most of all, he was a wine lover. Bill cared deeply about his old Zinfandel vineyard on Zinfandel Lane in Napa. Sadly, Bill and his wife, Jane, were swept away by the tsunami that struck Phuket Beach in Thailand in 2004. Bill’s stepson, Drew Hagen, took over the reins at Dickerson Vineyard. He has worked hard to maintain the old Zinfandel vines as a tribute to Bill, who loved and nurtured them. Thus far, Drew has managed to stem the tide of encroaching Napa Cabernet Sauvignon.

I began working with Dickerson vineyard in 1982, not so long after I released my first wines from Ravenswood. Dickerson became one of the most popular of the Ravenswood Single Vineyard designated Zinfandels. The wines were dramatic. Cedar cigar box, mint and red raspberries were descriptors frequently used to describe the wine. At least part of that drama came from the very large Eucalyptus trees that were planted at the north end of the vineyard. A few years ago, one of those trees threatened to fall and was removed. This also removed some of the minty aromatic overlay revealing the true nature of the vibrant red fruited Zinfandel underneath. I had the good fortune to start receiving a small amount of the Dickerson vineyard fruit for Once & Future wine in 2019." - Joel Peterson

Vineyard Notes: In the heart of Napa Valley, in the Rutherford appellation to be exact, grows a vineyard that is a throwback to Napa Valley’s past. This vineyard was planted in 1920 by Charlie Volpi on Zinfandel Lane (where else would you expect to find great Zin in Napa?) well before Cabernet Sauvignon became the dominate Napa Valley grape. It was planted early enough so that the dry farmed vines are on St. George rootstock, head pruned with 8x8 spacing, but late enough so that it is all of one variety, 100% Zinfandel. It is likely that variety labeled grapes were easier sell to home winemakers during prohibition. The soil in this vineyard is Bale loam which is typical of Napa Valley floor vineyards.

Reviews

  • Vinous
    Rating: 92 (1/20/2022)
    The 2020 Zinfandel Dickerson Vineyard emerges from a site planted in 1920. Ripe, racy and exuberant, the Dickerson is bursting at the seams with character. All the elements are so well balanced. The Dickerson is clearly one of the wines of the vintage. Crushed red berry fruit, sweet pipe tobacco, mint and exotic spice all build effortlessly. Bright acids and lifted floral accents add character to the strong Zinfandel flavors. What a pleasure it is to taste the 2020. It's a beautifully done wine from Joel Peterson's Once & Future.