Mark, Kari and Tim taste the 2008 barrels
2008 was a glorious year with flowering quite late on July 2nd and warm sunny days into the 4th week of October yielding perfectly ripe fruit harvested on October 19th.
The yields in 2008 were miniscule - about 1.6 tons per acre and so our Pinot noir production was 16.5 barrels - about 400 cases. We made 2.5 barrels of Tempranillo, 59 cases - almost double our 32 case production last year. Our 2008 Pinot noir production will be down 37% from 2007, and 2009 production will more than double from 2008. Hey, its farming! About 58% of the production is Pommard clone from block 6-G with the remainder from blocks 7-A 113 clone and 7-D 777 clone. We used 7 new out of the 16.5 total barrels or 42% new French oak on average. Because of the small lot size the 113 and 777 wines were co-fermented.
The wines are exceptional. Great concentration, wonderful fruit and round mouth feel. The Tempranillo will be our best effort to date - really a fun wine to drink. We bottled the Pinot noirs on March 18th for a Memorial Day release.
2008 Zenith Vineyard Estate Pinot Noir
 The 2008 Estate Pinot Noir is 67% Pommard, 17% Dijon clone 113 and 16% Dijon clone 777. It was aged for sixteen months in 33% new French oak barrels. The Estate Pinot Noir can be enjoyed in its youth or aged up to 6 years. It is an excellent accompaniment with a wide variety of savory foods including grilled or braised meats, rich fish, and cheese. 147 cases produced; 13.7% alcohol. $25 per bottle; $255 by the case.
2008 Zenith Vineyard Barrel Select Pinot Noir
 The 2008 Barrel Select Pinot Noir is assembled from the ten best barrels from Zenith's 2008 vintage. The blend is 50% Pommard; 25% Dijon clone 113 and 25% Dijon clone 777. It was aged for sixteen months in 48% new French oak barrels. The Barrel Select Pinot Noir emphasizes the unique qualities of this site's terroir: dark red fruit, spice, and an appealing brightness to the aromas and textures. 257 cases produced; 13.8% alcohol. $40 per bottle; $408 by the case.
2008 Zenith Vineyard Tempranillo
 The 2008 Zenith Estate Tempranillo, our 3nd vintage, further refines our knowledge of growing this variety on Southwest sloping block 5-D. The Estate Tempranillo was aged for sixteen months in 20% new American oak. This classic Spanish varietal takes on new qualities grown in Oregon's Eola-Amity Hills. We love its bright fruit balanced by an earthy, brawny tannic backbone with a kiss of vanilla from the American oak cooperage. 59 cases produced; 13.8% alcohol. $30 per bottle; $306 by the case.
The 2007 Wines
2007 was a vintage that stands in sharp contrast to the 2006 wines, our inaugural vintage. The 2006 wines have in-your-face fruit and a sexy and exotic nose - they are pop-and-pour fun in a bottle. 2007 gave us wines of great structure and balance - the fruit is more complex and layered, the acids are more in balance and alcohol levels are lower. These are great food wines. 2006 was all Christina Aguilera; 2007 is more Gwyneth Paltrow. The "buzz" in the industry suggests that 2007 will be more "Burgundian" in character... wines that may really thrill to a few years of bottle age,
We grew our Pinot noir production to just under 700 cases in 2007 up from 465 cases in 2006. Still, our Barrel Select is just seven barrels or 26% of the blend, a much more severe selection than last year when it was 40% of production. Our goal is to maximize the quality of this, our top wine. The wines were bottled on April 1, 2009.
2007 Zenith Vineyard Estate Pinot Noir
The 2007 Estate Pinot Noir is 48% Pommard; 27% Wadenswil; 17% Dijon clone 113; and 8% Dijon clone 777. It was aged for sixteen months in 33% new French oak barrels. The Estate Pinot Noir can be enjoyed in its youth or aged up to 6 years. It is an excellent accompaniment with a wide variety of savory foods including grilled or braised meats, rich fish, and cheese. 526 cases produced; 12.1% alcohol. $25 per bottle; $255 by the case.
2007 Zenith Vineyard Barrel Select Pinot Noir
The 2007 Barrel Select Pinot Noir is a cuvee of our seven favorite barrels from the 2007 vintage. A significant portion, 52%, comes from the final vintage of what was once known as O'Connor Block One. The final blend is 58% Pommard; 21% Wadenswil; 14% Dijon clone 113; and 7% Dijon clone 777. It was aged for sixteen months in 46% new French oak barrels. The Barrel Select Pinot Noir emphasizes the unique qualities of this site's terroir: dark red fruit, spice, and an appealing brightness to the aromas and textures. 172 cases produced; 12.3% alcohol. $40 per bottle; $408 by the case.
2007 Zenith Vineyard Tempranillo (sold out)
The 2007 Zenith Tempranillo, our 2nd vintage, further refines our knowledge of growing this grape on this site. We hung the fruit until October 29th and picked it in beautiful condition. It was aged for sixteen months in 33% new American oak. This classic Spanish varietal takes on new qualities grown in Oregon's Willamette Valley. Its earthy, foresty qualities are enhanced by added brightness to its fruit. 36 cases produced; 13.0% alcohol. $30 per bottle; $306 by the case.
2007 Zenith Vineyard Pinot Gris
Our 2007 Pinot Gris comes from Zenith Vineyard block 3-D and was harvested on October 16, 2007. The wine has beautiful acidity balanced with bright fruit. It was fermented in stainless steel and has about 4% Zenith Pinot Blanc as well to give the wine a wonderful nose and clean finish. 313 cases produced; 13.5% alcohol and 0.7% RS. $18 per bottle; $216 by the case.
Click Here for information on past vintages. Give us a try! If you are not thrilled with the wines please return unopened bottles for a full refund.
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Zenith Vineyard Wines 
