Enrico Valentine Red Blend 2023

The 2023 growing season in Sonoma Valley delivered one of those rare combinations: power shaped by patience. A winter of record rainfall (nearly double the norm) and a cooler growing season delayed bud break and stretched ripening well into late October. Yields were generous, but what mattered more was extended hang time—an extra month that brought balance, freshness, and depth into focus.

This wine is sourced exclusively from organically and regeneratively farmed vineyards under the care of the Coturri family—sites that are not just vineyards, but part of Sonoma’s modern wine history:

• Dos Limones Vineyard — among the first organically farmed sites in Sonoma (since 1979)
• Barricia Vineyard — originally planted in the 1880s
• Brushera Vineyard — at the base of Moon Mountain District
• Rossi Ranch — one of Sonoma Valley’s benchmark sites

The Blend

• 72% Zinfandel
• 25% Grenache
• 3% Petite Sirah

Zinfandel forms the backbone—dark blackberry and black cherry depth. Grenache lifts the wine with red fruit brightness and spice. Petite Sirah tightens the frame—structure, tannin, and a darker, more serious edge.

Winemaking

• Harvest: Late October 2023
• Fermentation: Native yeast. 3-5 day cold soak, 2-6 weeks on skins, 10% whole cluster
  
• Extraction: 3–5 day cold soak, 2–6 weeks on skins
• Whole Cluster: 10%
• Aging: 16 months in French oak (10% new puncheon*)

This is a hands-off, structure-driven approach—built more on vineyard and fermentation than heavy oak influence.

Why Try It?

Historic Sonoma sites. Organic farming. Native fermentation. A modern California blend that still remembers where it comes from.

Why Buy It?

Cellar & Serving Notes

This is a California red with intent - dry, structured, and balanced. Ripe fruit without sweetness. Structured, but not overbuilt. Best enjoyed over the next 5–7 years, where fruit and structure stay in balance. 

Built for the table:

• Grilled steaks
• Braised lamb
• Hearty pasta dishes
• Aged cheeses

(10+ years? Possible—but not the point of this wine.)

Wine Details

• Appellation: Sonoma Valley
• Farming: Organic / In conversion
• Pruning: Goblet
• Production: 750 cases
• Alcohol: 15.1%
• Aging: Age 16 months in French oak, 10% new puncheon*

*Wine Term: Puncheon

A puncheon is a large oak barrel, typically around 500–600 liters (larger than a standard 225L barrique).

Because of its size, it has less surface area of wood relative to wine, meaning:

• Slower oxygen exchange
• More subtle oak influence
• Greater focus on fruit and structure rather than oak flavor

In short: texture and integration—not oak dominance.

Proposition 65 Warning:
Alcohol and Cancer | Alcohol and Pregnancy