If you've read a few of Navarro's newsletters, you'll certainly recognize the name Tollini. We met Al Tollini many years ago and as our relationship developed we've gained access to some of Al's oldest vines. He has a field of eighty-year-old, head-trained Petite vines planted on some highly desirable, well-drained soil. Adjoining Al's field is Bud Thompson's ten-year-old Petite vineyard planted with top-rated disease-free vines and a modern multi-wire trellis. This bottling is a blend of these two blocks that share the same hillside. After fermentation, the wine was aged in seasoned French oak barrels for almost two years; enough time to tame Petite's brawny tannins. It smacks of raspberries, black licorice and chocolate with briary tones. Six bottle limit. Gold Medal winner.
Al Tollini during harvest; note the light crop on these old, head-trained vines. We produced our first Petite Sirah in 1994 from another ancient head-trained vineyard in Redwood Valley, just north of Ukiah, in the warm Russian River watershed. The yields in that vineyard slowly diminished over time and 2007 marked our last vintage from that field. Al's well-tended vines had no problem fully ripening their crop for this 2012 bottling.
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Al Tollini during harvest; note the light crop on these old, head-trained vines. We produced our first Petite Sirah in 1994 from another ancient head-trained vineyard in Redwood Valley, just north of Ukiah, in the warm Russian River watershed. The yields in that vineyard slowly diminished over time and 2007 marked our last vintage from that field. Al's well-tended vines had no problem fully ripening their crop for this 2012 bottling.