Zichichi Family Vineyard is proof that stepping off the
beaten path can provide unexpected pleasures.
My wife and I were in the Sonoma valley enjoying a tasting at one of the
bigger, established wineries. We asked
our wine pourer if she had any recommendations for other wineries we should
visit. She advised us to visit a cluster
of small wineries on Dry Creek Road which runs just north of Healdsburg up to
Lake Sonoma. Wisely, we took her advice
and made our way to Zichichi.
Zichichi Family Vineyard is a small, family-owned winery in
the northern section of Dry Creek Valley, producing extremely limited, estate
grown wines. To our surprise, Zichichi
has a strong Louisiana connection. In
2000, Steve Zichichi, a New Orleans physician whose practice included working
for the Saints, purchased the 22 acre Bartolozzi Ranch in Dry Creek Valley,
located in the historic town of Healdsburg and built the winery that now bears
his name. The ranch consists of 14 acres of zinfandel and 4 acres of petite Syrah,
all planted in the 1920s and 1960s. In
addition to the wines produced from the vineyard they also make a Cabernet
Sauvignon from grapes grown in Napa Valley.
The vineyard, which is head-pruned and grows in rocky, gravelly soil,
begins on a hill and rolls down to Dry Creek.
The tasting room is bright, airy and simple, with a stone fireplace and a wide deck that
overlooks the vineyard. Steve’s office
is adorned with photos of past Saints players.
Steve was a foot and ankle surgeon who treated several Saints players
including Jeremy Shockey and Joe Horn.
Zichichi is a very small winery
with a limited production capacity. As a
result, it enjoys the enviable problem of selling out of wine before it is even
bottled. This provides visitors a unique benefit - after we had sampled the
wines from the bottle we were also given a rare opportunity to experience a
barrel tasting. This was my first
experience at barrel tasting and it was exciting to have the winemaker there to
discuss the different stages of evolution of the wines.
The barrel tasting included three
wines – the Old Vine Zinfandel which is grown from 85 year old vines, the Estate
Zinfandel grown from the “younger” 45 year old vines, and the Petit Syrah. It was fascinating to taste the distinct
differences between the two zinfandels. The Estate Zinfandel was bright and
fruit forward with rich dark berry flavors and stunning acidity. The
old vines impart an earthiness and smoky flavor to the Old Vine Zinfandel. Its flavors were more subdued than the
younger vines, but also more complex in nature.
The Old Vine Zinfandel is garnet flavored with hints of raspberry jam, red
cherry and a touch of mocha on the finish.
The Petit Syrah was a dark inky color with a hint of lavender and violet
in the bouquet. It was velvety smooth
with a long finish of blueberry and blackberry notes – a perfect choice for an
afternoon barbecue.
Zichichi’s limited production,
coupled with the quality of its wines, means that it has few bottles available
for purchase at the winery. Instead, Zichichi
fans purchase futures of the wine.
During our tasting we noticed several patrons stopping by to pick up the
futures they had purchased last year.
Buying wine futures is a new experience for my wife and me, and one that
requires patience and delayed gratification, but we enjoyed the wines so much
we ordered a half a case of all three wines.
We are looking forward to its arrival this spring! Although the wines will drink well at a young
age, we plan to test our patience further and age them for a few years to let
them fully develop. Well, maybe not all of them.
Keep an eye out for Zichichi wines. It's still a young
venture, but it is worthy of support from wine lovers coast to coast. Give it a try and spread the word. Who Dat!
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