2016 Primitivo

The Vintage
Once again Mother Nature has provided Sonoma County another vintage year for growers and winemakers. 2016 was by many measures an exceptional year to grow grapes. The season started early as did the previous year. The crop was slightly larger than 2015 but excellent quality. It was an early harvest season, beginning mid-August and finishing up by the end of September, another record year here at Trione Vineyards and Winery.

Winemaking
Small open top fermentation vessels were used. The grapes were places in the tanks primarily whole, without crushing, to retain more berry fruit character in the final wine. The cap was hand plunged up to four times per day to mix the skins in with the fermenting juice. A special selection of yeast was used for the fermentation that was sourced from a native fermentation of Rockpile Appellation Syrah. The yeast is tolerant of high alcohol and produces esters of rich, dark blackberry aromas.

Tasting Notes
Primitivo is an exceptional selection of Zinfandel, Croatian in origin, this wine is rich, elegant and distinctive. The nose is beautifully seductive, leading to a velvety smooth texture and finish; a great example of the varietal. The 2016 Trione Primitivo wuld pair with almost any red meat dish, from a simple ground sirloin burger to the most generous standing rib roast. Primitivo is a quantum leap above the standard Zinfandel for its elegance and purity of flavor. This 2016 Trione Primitivo is Zinfandel in a Tux! Enjoy!