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Due Ruscelli 2016 'Tramonto' RRV Primitivo (Zinfandel)

Due Ruscelli 2016 'Tramonto' RRV Primitivo (Zinfandel)

96 Points, Double Gold
Harvest Challenge
dryness
acidity
tannin
body
fruit
96 Points, Double Gold
Harvest Challenge

Mission Codename You say Primitivo, I say...

In all honesty, we don’t really fall for those glitzy gold medals and big points and all that jazz from small local competitions easily UNTIL we taste a wine to verify with our very own palates.

THIS passed that test with flying colors, and then some. So much so that we got on an interview with the family that grew it to better understand why it’s one of the best Russian River Zinfandels we’ve had lately, and perhaps ever.

A pastoral one-way country road just south of Healdsburg called Limerick Lane wraps up a couple of wineries right across the street from one another. One is the renowned Limerick Lane Cellars whose Zinfandels can fetch an arm and a leg. The other? A secret TINY neighbor ONLY INSIDERS know about - Due Ruscelli.

Following their roots, the Sloan family are in love with everything Italian, and after many trips and multiple harvests there, they set out on this tiny vineyard off of Limerick Lane to make the best Primitivo clone Zinfandels humanly possible.

And they did!

Yet they are SO small that getting the word out without a massive marketing budget is challenging. That’s where we come in. We, as in, us and you.

Tramonto and Luna are two special tiny terroir plots within the same Due Ruscelli Estate vineyard, Luna being the lower slopes that the moon hits first on a clear night. And Tramonto is what they call their upper terraces, named after that famous wild northernly wind the Mediterranean people call the Tramontane. The longer hangtime and the intense afternoon sun exposure of this plot results in even ripening and massively flavorful berries that lead to an extraordinary Zin, with the ever so slightest, barely perceptible yet irresistible Late Harvest sweetness, while complex, savory and balanced too.

A real stunner on the nose, combining a distinctive sense of place with briary power and finesse. Exotic aromas of smoky wild berry, chunky dark chocolate, and Asian spice. The palate knocks it out of the park, combining intensity and power with a keen personality. Floral raspberry and spiced pomegranate open to layered flavors of smoky meat, cracked pepper and herb. Finishes with big but ripe tannins. Calls for smoked meats, an all-day outdoors feast around the grill would be empty without it.

Named a Primitivo as a tribute to the ancestry of “America’s grape” grown in the heel of Italy, this beloved variety just does not get better in intensity and depth, no matter what you call it.

All you Zinners out there, wake up before it’s gone!

96 Points, Double Gold – Harvest Challenge

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Tasting Profile Tasting Profile

dryness
acidity
tannin
body
fruit
Due Ruscelli 2016 'Tramonto' RRV Primitivo (Zinfandel) 750ml Wine Label
Look

Deep purple in the core, radiating to a bright magenta rim, where crimson also comes into play

Smell

A real stunner, briary power, and finesse, exotic aromas of smoky wild berry, chunky dark chocolate, and Asian spice

Taste

Knocks it out of the park, intensity and power with a keen personality, floral raspberry, and spiced pomegranate

Finish

Layered flavors of smoky meat, cracked pepper, and herb, finishing long with big but ripe tannins

Pairing

Calls for smoked meats, an all-day outdoors feast around the grill would be empty without it

What the Winery Says 2016 'Tramonto' RRV Primitivo (Zinfandel)

Due Ruscelli
Due Ruscelli
Winemakers
Jacob Sloan
Vintage
2016
Varietals
100% Zinfandel
Clone
Bari Primitivo 3
Region
Russian River Valley, Sonoma County
Vineyard
Due Ruscelli Estate Vineyard
Alcohol
14.8%
Aging
24 months
Barrels
30% new French oak
Production
9 barrels

About the Winery Due Ruscelli

Due Ruscelli Winemaker Jacob Sloan
Due Ruscelli Winemaker Jacob Sloan
Due Ruscelli 2016 'Tramonto' RRV Primitivo (Zinfandel) 750ml Wine Bottle
Offer Expired Dec 31, 2023 at 11:59 pm
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Due Ruscelli 2016 'Tramonto' RRV Primitivo (Zinfandel) 750ml Wine Bottle
Offer Expired Dec 31, 2023 at 11:59 pm
Register to get notified when this wine is back in stock:
Sign Up For Free