2021 Saxon Brown ‘Fighting Brothers’ Zinfandel Sonoma Valley

Our 2021 Fighting Brothers Zinfandel packs a wallop in a silk glove, at once both richly mouthfilling and handsomely structured. Brooding, ripe blackberry and raspberry flavors do the heavy lifting, with bright floral, sage, and sweet vanilla notes adding detail and dimension. Polished fine grain tannins carry the wine’s seductive richness through the lengthy finish.

Our 2021 Fighting Brothers Zinfandel is made from a mix of “old” and “young” vines, and is named for my two sons, who have blended their age-related differences into something approaching harmony. The old vines give us the complexity that comes from the traditional field blending of multiple varietals, while the younger sites give us lively acidity and bright, focused flavors. Together they produce a harmonious blend worthy of the Fighting Brothers that inspired it. The nearly ideal 2021 growing season was the perfect backdrop for nurturing harmony in the final blend, balancing the continuing drought stress with weather that was consistent and moderate. The result is a best-of-both worlds balance and harmony that we strive for with Fighting Brothers.

The grapes were harvested in the early morning hours and transported immediately to the winery. In the cellar, the grapes were de-stemmed into an open-top fermenter (95% whole berry), “cold-soaked” for 48 hours, and inoculated with a low rate of yeast to allow the “wild yeast” to have an effect before the cultured yeast takes over. All lots were co-fermented to maximize the complexity and harmony of the blend. After fermentation, the wine was pressed to new and one year old French barrels for 18 months aging. 181 cases produced. Aged 17 months in 50% new French oak barrels.