2011 Daniel Zinfandel
Stuhlmuller Vineyard, Alexander Valley, Sonoma, California
The very first Kitten Swish wine ever produced. This was the first foray into our micro-négociant lives. A thought becomes real. That’s nice.
The 2011 growing season in California was, well, gross really. It was cold and wet with a good deal of moisture pressure, ensuring rot was lurking around the bend. Growers had to balance trying to push for ripeness and avoid the gloomy rot and harvest rain. A tricky year to start a wine label, for sure.
The original idea for this blend was to be Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon. However, the Cabernet Sauvignon in 2011 was ugly, it had a crooked smile and an odd gait. Too gnarly for our first time out. So we sifted through barrels of Zinfandel and Petite Sirah until we found a combination that meshed well together. We sourced the wine from the Stuhlmuller vineyard in Alexander Valley, a prime spot for Zinfandel. We looked for a bright blend with a bit of structure and a poppy nose of black pepper, squeezed raspberry and warm plums…a bit of something delicious…for your mouth.
The label is a friend of mine, Daniel. The base picture was taken during a show and tell evening in Thailand. I always thought it would make a good wine label. And so it is indeed our very first piece of Kitten Swish art. Also, we made this label unbeknownst to Daniel. Good times.