Brothers 2022
One of the quirks of winemaking is how often logic can lead you astray. For example, blending a light-bodied wine and a full-bodied wine together will naturally give you a medium-bodied wine. Except it doesn't. At least not always. There's a sort of alchemy that goes on with blending, one that all too often leaves you scratching your head. But if you're the type who's rarely satisfied, as I often am, you persevere, you try this combo and that, work with varying ratios, maybe let them marry together for a month or more in barrel, and above all, taste and taste some more until you're happy. That is what we have here, a blend of Syrah and Zinfandel, all from the 2022 vintage, all from the ranch we farm. This is the biggest, richest wine have on offer, as much California sun as one can stuff into 750 milliliters. If you want intrigue, try the Prieto. If depth and complexity are what you seek, go for the Syrah or Zinfandel. But if unadulterated fun is on your menu, this wine is for you.
The Story
In 1977, with the purchase of ten acres of old, bush-trained Zinfandel vines, Michael and Tom Collins entered the wine industry. They lacked both experience, and the kind of money that makes experience irrelevant. But Michael understood plants, they made sense to him, just as Tom understood how to get a winery built, and the protocols involved, like loading a few cases of wine into the county inspector’s trunk. Together, they spent the next sixteen years farming, building, and hustling to create Limerick Lane Cellars in 1993 -- two Irish guys from San Francisco, their dream now realized.
Tragically, Tom was killed that same year, leaving Michael to carry the torch forward. Determined not to lose it all, Michael put both the winery and vineyard on his shoulders and set Limerick Lane Cellars on the path to becoming the Zinfandel juggernaut it is today. In 2011, Michael sold the winery, but retained the Collins Vineyard, where the fruit for this wine was grown. As Michael grew older, and farming the vineyard became more difficult, his and Tom’s much younger brother, Eddie, stepped in to dust the vines with sulfur, and to keep the tractors running. Sadly, both Michael and Eddie passed away in 2019, but the life that these three men gave to this vineyard is alive and well. It is to these three brothers that we dedicate this wine.
The Grapes
This wine is a blend of Syrah and Zinfandel, which we farm on our ranch in the Russian River Valley. For more general information about the Syrah grape, click here and for the Zinfandel grape, click here.
The Source
We grow both the Syrah and Zinfandel here, where we live, on the Collins Vineyard. For all the geeky details, please click here.
The Winemaking
We love the wines we made in 2020 and 2021, but we tend to favor pretty wines, which usually means lower alcohol and higher acidity. So we wanted to push the envelope in 2022, and see what would happen if we picked earlier, before the sugar spiked and the acid dropped. Our Syrah is always ready before the Zinfandel, so after carefully sampling the fruit in the vineyard to find the right time to pick, we harvested the Syrah on August 22 and to the winery it went. Well, sampling is a tricky game, and the actual grape sugars were below what our sampling had predicted, but the wine turned out beautiful, with red fruits, a crazy long finish, and lip-smacking acidity.
Due to logistical constraints, however, the Zinfandel was not picked until September 10, with quite a bit of raisining on the vine, and high sugars. Fortunately, it fermented without issue on native yeast, without any nutrient or other aids. Naturally, the wine was bursting at the seams, the alcohol was toasty and warm, and the fruit flowed as if from a spigot, unable to be turned off.
Both wines were special and interesting, but they were better together. Not all barrels made the cut. As noted above, many blends were made, but in the end we decided to ditch restraint and make a wine that keeps no secrets. Mind you, it's still balanced, but if you like saying "oh yeah" from the first sip on, you'll be happy here. As with the other wines on offer here, we added a small amount of SO2 to keep it safe, and it was bottled up in August 2024.
How's it taste?
It shows the dark fruits and earth of the Syrah, as well as the spice and raspberry of the Zinfandel, but also a character all its own. You'll taste blueberries, dark chocolate, and a dose of black pepper. This will slay with barbecue, but no matter the setting, be sure to cool it down to about 60 degrees. This wine, like 99% of all red wines, is so much better slightly cool. Room temperature (say, 72 degrees) accentuates the alcohol, mutes the fruit, and just dulls everything.
How to drink and enjoy
These wines were bottled in late August, and could use another month or two to find their feet. Wines also don't like being shipped, and are usually much better if given a week or so to settle down.
But who has such patience? I know I don't, so here's the fix: Open it the night before (or morning of), pour a couple ounces out, replace the cork, shake it up good, and let it sit until you're ready to consume. Oh, and serve around 60 degrees if possible. Your efforts (and patience) will be rewarded.
Details
Appellation: Russian River Valley
Blend: 58% Syrah | 42% Zinfandel
Vineyard: Collins Vineyard | Planted 1934 (Zinfandel) 1980 (Syrah)
Aging: 22 months in neutral French oak
Production: 196 cases
Specs: Alcohol: 14.8% | Titratable Acidity: 6.16 g/L | pH: 3.69 | Volatile Acidity: 0.94 g/L
One of the quirks of winemaking is how often logic can lead you astray. For example, blending a light-bodied wine and a full-bodied wine together will naturally give you a medium-bodied wine. Except it doesn't. At least not always. There's a sort of alchemy that goes on with blending, one that all too often leaves you scratching your head. But if you're the type who's rarely satisfied, as I often am, you persevere, you try this combo and that, work with varying ratios, maybe let them marry together for a month or more in barrel, and above all, taste and taste some more until you're happy. That is what we have here, a blend of Syrah and Zinfandel, all from the 2022 vintage, all from the ranch we farm. This is the biggest, richest wine have on offer, as much California sun as one can stuff into 750 milliliters. If you want intrigue, try the Prieto. If depth and complexity are what you seek, go for the Syrah or Zinfandel. But if unadulterated fun is on your menu, this wine is for you.
The Story
In 1977, with the purchase of ten acres of old, bush-trained Zinfandel vines, Michael and Tom Collins entered the wine industry. They lacked both experience, and the kind of money that makes experience irrelevant. But Michael understood plants, they made sense to him, just as Tom understood how to get a winery built, and the protocols involved, like loading a few cases of wine into the county inspector’s trunk. Together, they spent the next sixteen years farming, building, and hustling to create Limerick Lane Cellars in 1993 -- two Irish guys from San Francisco, their dream now realized.
Tragically, Tom was killed that same year, leaving Michael to carry the torch forward. Determined not to lose it all, Michael put both the winery and vineyard on his shoulders and set Limerick Lane Cellars on the path to becoming the Zinfandel juggernaut it is today. In 2011, Michael sold the winery, but retained the Collins Vineyard, where the fruit for this wine was grown. As Michael grew older, and farming the vineyard became more difficult, his and Tom’s much younger brother, Eddie, stepped in to dust the vines with sulfur, and to keep the tractors running. Sadly, both Michael and Eddie passed away in 2019, but the life that these three men gave to this vineyard is alive and well. It is to these three brothers that we dedicate this wine.
The Grapes
This wine is a blend of Syrah and Zinfandel, which we farm on our ranch in the Russian River Valley. For more general information about the Syrah grape, click here and for the Zinfandel grape, click here.
The Source
We grow both the Syrah and Zinfandel here, where we live, on the Collins Vineyard. For all the geeky details, please click here.
The Winemaking
We love the wines we made in 2020 and 2021, but we tend to favor pretty wines, which usually means lower alcohol and higher acidity. So we wanted to push the envelope in 2022, and see what would happen if we picked earlier, before the sugar spiked and the acid dropped. Our Syrah is always ready before the Zinfandel, so after carefully sampling the fruit in the vineyard to find the right time to pick, we harvested the Syrah on August 22 and to the winery it went. Well, sampling is a tricky game, and the actual grape sugars were below what our sampling had predicted, but the wine turned out beautiful, with red fruits, a crazy long finish, and lip-smacking acidity.
Due to logistical constraints, however, the Zinfandel was not picked until September 10, with quite a bit of raisining on the vine, and high sugars. Fortunately, it fermented without issue on native yeast, without any nutrient or other aids. Naturally, the wine was bursting at the seams, the alcohol was toasty and warm, and the fruit flowed as if from a spigot, unable to be turned off.
Both wines were special and interesting, but they were better together. Not all barrels made the cut. As noted above, many blends were made, but in the end we decided to ditch restraint and make a wine that keeps no secrets. Mind you, it's still balanced, but if you like saying "oh yeah" from the first sip on, you'll be happy here. As with the other wines on offer here, we added a small amount of SO2 to keep it safe, and it was bottled up in August 2024.
How's it taste?
It shows the dark fruits and earth of the Syrah, as well as the spice and raspberry of the Zinfandel, but also a character all its own. You'll taste blueberries, dark chocolate, and a dose of black pepper. This will slay with barbecue, but no matter the setting, be sure to cool it down to about 60 degrees. This wine, like 99% of all red wines, is so much better slightly cool. Room temperature (say, 72 degrees) accentuates the alcohol, mutes the fruit, and just dulls everything.
How to drink and enjoy
These wines were bottled in late August, and could use another month or two to find their feet. Wines also don't like being shipped, and are usually much better if given a week or so to settle down.
But who has such patience? I know I don't, so here's the fix: Open it the night before (or morning of), pour a couple ounces out, replace the cork, shake it up good, and let it sit until you're ready to consume. Oh, and serve around 60 degrees if possible. Your efforts (and patience) will be rewarded.
Details
Appellation: Russian River Valley
Blend: 58% Syrah | 42% Zinfandel
Vineyard: Collins Vineyard | Planted 1934 (Zinfandel) 1980 (Syrah)
Aging: 22 months in neutral French oak
Production: 196 cases
Specs: Alcohol: 14.8% | Titratable Acidity: 6.16 g/L | pH: 3.69 | Volatile Acidity: 0.94 g/L