Description
RED CELLAR TRIO WINE CLUB SELECTION
Once & Future is the return of one of California's great winemaking mavericks—Joel Peterson. Joel started Ravenswood in 1976 with the focus of making Zinfandel from old vine parcels throughout Sonoma and Contra Costa Counties, and was the first winemaker to vineyard designate Zinfandel in California. Once & Future is a continuation of Joel's early work at Ravenswood as he's returned to many of the original vineyards he used: Oakley, Sangiacomo, and Teldeschi, while also incorporating the famed Bedrock vineyard owned with his son Morgan Twain-Peterson, and Palisades vineyard in Calistoga. Both in the vineyard and in life, Joel has definitely learned a thing, or two about vintage variation, and he is enormously proud of the wines he made at Ravenswood.
After nearly 45 years in the wine business, however, it was time to return to his roots! The Teldeschi family has been farming in Dry Creek Valley since the early 1900s. Over an unexpected and unforgettable lunch with Frank and Caterina Teldeschi in the 1980s, Joel and Frank made a handshake deal for 4 tons of grapes and, as it turns out, a 40+ year friendship. From that small beginning, the wine made from the Teldeschi Vineyard grapes grew into one of Joel’s most sought-after single-vineyard designated wines. When he started Once & Future, it seemed right to honor Frank and their friendship by making this favored old vineyard block into a stand-alone wine. Primarily Zinfandel (with equal parts Carignane and Alicante Bouchet) from 115-year-old, head-trained, dry-farmed vines.
Heavily perfumed with black, brambly fruit and baking spice. The palate is rich and fruited, with flavors of blackberry, boysenberry, blueberry preserves, stewed plum and a hint of cured olive. The fruity, vanilla-laced finish is long, balanced, persistent with super-fine, polished tannins. Delicious now.
