2016 Primitivo

Vineyard: The Nervo Ranch has a unique history that started when the Nervo family began farming here in the late 1800’s. The first grapevines were planted in 1896 and soon after, in 1908, a stone winery was built. The Trione family purchased the eastern portion of the original Nervo property in the early 1970s and expanded the vineyard to its current 210 acres. Located within the Alexander Valley AVA on the western bank of the Russian River, the Home Ranch experiences warm daytime that allow our more robust Bordeaux varietals to reach their full potential. Erosion from the hillsides to the west coupled with the ever-changing path of the Russian River to the east leave a patchwork of soil types that range from gravel loam to fine silt. These soil variations allow us to plant grape varieties based on soil, enhancing varietal character and overall complexity of the finished wines. Certified Sustainable in 2017 (CCSW)

 

38°69'00.4"N 122°87'85.3"W

 

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 placed 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.

 

Oak: 100% American | Aging: 15 months