"The Big Break Vineyard, named for Big Break Road, which runs adjacent to the block, has traditionally produced one of our most powerful and individual lots of Zinfandel. The combination of extremely sandy, welldrained soils; dry-farming; century old, head-trained vines and the unique band of cooling air from the San Joaquin and Sacramento Rivers that favors Oakley's best vineyard sites create a synergy of elements that is ideal for ripening Zinfandel and expressing the full character of the fruit. In fact, this block is situated only a few hundred yards from the bank of the San Joaquin River.
Grapes from the Big Break Vineyard were harvested at high natural sugar levels and treated gently in the cellar to emphasize the explosive fruit characteristic of the block. The fruit was almost entirely de-stemmed and lightly crushed, with a large proportion of whole berries remaining in the must. Fermentation occurred at moderate temperatures in stainless steel tanks, using a selection of