Zinfandel, Once & Future

Oakley Road Zinfandel is planted on the same sandy slopes as the Oakley Road Mataro. These vines, planted in 1888, are on their own roots. They are truly bush vines coming out of the sand with multiple arms like hydra. Unlike most other California Zinfandel vineyards, the fruit is carried relatively low to the ground. The proximity to ground acts as shelter from the wind, which can be moderately intense in the afternoon in Oakley while reflecting radiated light and heat back on the grapes from the sandy soils. The vineyard has about 10 percent Carignane and Mataro interplanted with the Zinfandel. The sandy soils and the own-rooted vines tend to produce unique, suave, textural characteristics in the wines. The wines have bright, ripe flavors, and are very spicy, with fresh acidity and smooth fine tannins in the finish.

"I am very pleased with the 2017wines. 2017 was a solid year for Once & Future. It, of course, was the year of the great conflagration in Sonoma. But that occurred well after all my grapes were harvested. The wines have received very good scores from the press that have reviewed the wines thus far." - Joel Peterson