The Bridgehead vineyard, named for Bridgehead Road that runs adjacent to this treasured block, consistently produces one of our most individual and refined lots of Zinfandel. Planted by Italian immigrants well before the turn of the century, the Bridgehead vineyard in Oakley, California is among this country's most historic. Ancient, 100-plus-year-old, head-trained and dryfarmed vineyards in sandy soil combined with a unique band of cooling air from the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers creates an incredible synergy of elements for expressing the unique character of this site.
The grapes from the Bridgehead 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 cultured yeast. After 10 days of gentle "pump-overs" and near dryness, we drained and pressed the wine from its skins. The Bridgehead Zinfandel was minimally handled before being put down to barrel and was aged for 12 months in a combination of new and used oak before bottling.