Comparing the Nostro Vino Vineyard and
Massoni Ranch Vineyard and the Zinfandel wines that are produced from them is
an exercise that illuminates the role microclimates can have in the growing of
wine grapes and the flavors of the resulting wines. The “Z” Zinfandel comes from the Massoni
Ranch which is located at the southwestern end of the Shenandoah Valley. At 1,200 feet in elevation the vineyard faces
the south and west. Given this lower
elevation and its warm orientation to the sun these grapes develop their
flavors quickly and are typically some of the first we harvest. Tom Dillian’s Nostro Vino Vineyard, the
source of the grapes used to produce the “R Zinfandel, on the other hand, while
only three miles away, might as well be on another planet. The Nostro Vino
Vineyard is on Steiner Road and has a northern exposure and sits another four
hundred feet higher in elevation. The
amount of time it takes for this vineyard to warm in the spring puts it two to
three weeks behind the Massoni Ranch.
When the buds break in the spring at Nostro Vino the shoots are almost a
foot long at the Massoni Ranch. This
means that the Nostro Vino grapes ripen later in the season, often when the
nights have turned a degree or two cooler.
As a result, the grapes hang on to their acidity and more sugar
accumulates before they are fully ripe, and given this additional ‘hang time’
the pigments in the skins have a chance to deepen just that wee bit more than
at the Massoni Ranch. Therefore, the wines produced from
the Nostro Vino Vineyard are bigger, with more color and depth than the Massoni
Ranch. They also come with more extract
and tannin and usually a point or two more alcohol. For fans of the bold ‘Amador’ Zinfandel the
Nostro Vino gets the nod. For those that
prefer elegance and grace, the “Z” Zinfandel from the Massoni Ranch with its
lower alcohol and softer tannins is the wine of choice.
