2021 Peterson Zero Manipulation, Tollini Vineyard, Mendocino
Tasting Notes
This Rhône blend is both serious and playful, starting with dark-toned aromas of black raspberry and dried strawberry layered with subtle baking spices, kid leather, and sage. Bright, fruit-forward flavors fill the palate with blackberry, blueberry, strawberry, and raspberry, along with just a hint of orange citrus appearing late. The fresh flavors carry an undertone of brown spices, black pepper, and just a trace of earthy molasses. Lively acidity and integrated oak provide the perfect framework for this easy-sipping, medium-bodied wine.
An easy wine to match up with carne asada tacos, barbecue chicken pizza, bacon cheeseburgers, and so much more.
Jamie Peterson’s Vintaged View
Our Zero Manipulation is blended using 100% Tollini Vineyard fruit, and is the first in our line of wines honoring this great vineyard and farmer/friend to the north. We’ve produced Zero every year since 2000 using old vine Carignane as the dominant varietal, and in 2021, it makes up 60% of the blend. From this core of spicy, zippy red fruit flavors, we’ve added layers of depth, complexity, and balance with Grenache and Syrah. Our goal in the blend is to create a wine that is a true bistro wine—tasty, food-friendly, full of soul, and almost refreshing, without ever becoming heavy. As our original t-shirt proclaimed, this wine is always “easy to use and cheap to operate.”
Zero Manipulation is the winemaking philosophy that we employ on all of our wines. Our definition of Zero Manipulation is using the gentlest winemaking techniques possible to maximize flavors, aromas, and the original essence of the grapes from the given vineyard and vintage. The less you do in the course of a wine’s tenure in the cellar, the more of the grape’s, vineyard’s, and vintage’s essence you’ll have to bottle. Every time you do something to a wine, you take out a little of what you started with. We endeavor to share with you as much of the grape’s true essence in every bottle; naturally, sustainably, and with a mind to being easy on your wallet.
Specs
Composition: 100% Tollini Vineyard
Varietal Breakdown Harvest Dates:
60% Carignane Sept. 28
33% Grenache Sept. 8
7% Syrah Sept. 15
Appellation: Redwood Valley, Mendocino County
Alcohol: 14.5%
pH: 3.35
TA: 0.72g/100ml
Barrel Aging: 21 months
Cooperage: 100% neutral oak barrels
Bottling Date: June 29, 2023 (unfined & unfiltered)
Peterson Winery has been producing wine in Dry Creek Valley for 30 years and, like most wineries in the Valley, produces Zinfandel as well as other wines. Yet a closer look shows that is where the similarities end.
Owner Fred Peterson is an iconoclast with an old-world winemaking philosophy and a reverence for sustainable farming. The Peterson approach is to capture the essence of vintage and vineyard—a philosophy they call Zero Manipulation—with low tech, yet high touch, to produce wines of a place, wines with soul. The evolution of Peterson wines and winemaking accelerated when Fred’s son Jamie became assistant winemaker in the summer of 2002. In 2006, after moving from the tiny red barn on Lytton Springs to Timber Crest Farms, Jamie was given the overall responsibilities as winemaker. As a winegrowing team, Fred and Jamie assess the grapes from each vineyard and vintage as the season progresses, evaluating how the weather, soil, and site are interacting for the particular vintage. At Peterson Winery, the winemaking process begins while the grapes are still on the vines. Zero Manipulation is a discipline the Petersons follow to capture the character and balance inherent in the grapes. Zero Manipulation means using the most gentle, traditional winemaking practices possible to maximize the flavors, aromatics, and texture of the wines. Fred and Jamie celebrate vintage differences and don’t tweak or homogenize the wine to obtain consistency of flavors, a common practice in mass-market wineries. For Fred and Jamie, Peterson Winery is all about the wines. But if you look a little deeper, you’ll see the heart and soul that goes into every bottle.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KY, LA, ME, MA, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, OH, OR, RI, SC, TX, VT, WA, WV, WI, WY
2021 Peterson Zero Manipulation, Tollini Vineyard, Mendocino
Tasting Notes
Jamie Peterson’s Vintaged View
Specs
What’s Included
6-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
Not for sale on winery website, $288/case MSRP
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KY, LA, ME, MA, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, OH, OR, RI, SC, TX, VT, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Dec 29 - Friday, Jan 2
2021 Peterson Zero Manipulation Red Blend
6 bottles for $84.99 $14.17/bottle + $1.33/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $134.99 $11.25/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
This Peterson is a favorite wine of ours. Probably have to buy a case.
Also, this year’s Cheer bottling is on Meh today. Pedroncelli cab this time, $119/case with a $12 coupon.
Cheers!
@wnance Good snag! Lots of great wine! Nice.