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2007 Toucan Wines Estate Zinfandel (Toucan Vineyard, Zinfandel & 10% Petite Sirah)
Los Angeles International Wine Competition 2007 in the vineyard
A dry and cold
winter allowed us to complete pruning in January, but nights of hard-freezes for
a seven day stretch damaged water lines, foliage on trees and ultimately meant
the end for several vines in our vineyard. The rains never came in spring and
drought conditions resulted in early stress in the vineyard forcing less
established vines to give up their fruit. Vines less stressed by the loss of
rain set less fruit then normal on a schedule more typical of
Harvest of small batches of Estate Zinfandel began on September 15th through the 28th and on September 29th we harvested the Estate Petite Sirah. The fruit came into the winery in perfect condition with nearly identical numbers to the 2005 vintage. Several days of cold soaking led to a slow fermentation in small open bins. After a gentle pressing, we placed the wine in 60% new French, Hungarian, and American oak barrels. First racked and blended in May of 08’ and again in December, the 2007 Estate Zinfandel aged in fine oak for a total 16 months. Our 2007 Estate Zinfandel includes 10% 2007 Estate Petite Sirah and we proudly bottled 245 cases on February 10th of 2009, unfined and unfiltered. A separate bottling of 35 cases of the 2007 Estate Petite Sirah was also bottled from our estate vineyard.
The finished wine After 16 months in barrel and another year in the bottle, this wine awesome and a beautiful garnet/purple with a nose of ripe wild cherry and complex fruits. Tastes of multi-layered ripe fruits, elegant, with a back bone of fine oak. This vintage is similar to our 2005 Estate Zinfandel in style, elegance and flavor, but bolder in body and mouth-feel. Best enjoyed between 2010 - 2015
July 2010 -
Harvest: September 15th - 29th Bottled: February 10, 2009 Acid: .784 Alcohol: 14.7% Release: 245 cases 2008 Old Vine Carignane Evangelho Vineyard Contra Costa County -- only 217 cases produced --
Harvested from the low-yielding 120 year old vines, grown in the Evangelho vineyard in Contra Costa County. This wine was slowly fermented after a period of cold soaking and pressed to a combination of French, Hungarian and American oak barrels for 17 months. The resulting wine is a classic varietal bottling from this outstanding old vine vineyard.
This wine is big and beautiful with elegant plump berry on the palate and a beautiful finish. This wine is elegant and drinking great right now, but consider laying down a case of this wine, as I expect it to improve with another year or two in the bottle.
Harvest: September 5th Bottled: April 2010 Acid: .72 Alcohol: 15.9% Release: 217 cases
"Toucan Symphony" by Laurel Sherrie
Estate Toucanet Mutage d' esprit - Sweet Dessert Wine (Toucan Vineyard, Zinfandel & Petite Sirah) Our Estate Toucanet is the premier release of a wine produced from the desire to make an entirely estate based Porto styled dessert wine. This premier release is represented as a blend of three barrels from our 2007 vintage and one from our 2008 late harvested vintage - all of which have been fortified or Mutage with brandy spirits distilled from our 2006 Estate Zinfandel. As you can see, our premier release of Toucanet is the product of three great vintages from our estate vineyard and a wine made in the style of the finest age-worthy Porto dessert wines.
Select estate Zinfandel and Petite Sirah, harvested from our small vineyard, once crushed, was cold soaked pre-fermentation for several days. A slow fermentation with special yeast ended with the fortification of fine brandy - Mutage d' esprit. Aged in fine oak barrels for up to 22 months, Toucanet is an incredible and lovely sweet dessert styled wine that tastes of dark sweet fruits, deep raspberry liquor, wild cherry-vanilla, and hints of mocha. Presented in 500ml traditional Porto bottles and sporting our new image of five Toucans, this wine is ready to enjoy now and will hold for up to ten years with proper storage.
A few magnums and a few standard sized 750ml bottles will be available to members of the Toucan Wines Club.
302 (6 pack) cases of 500ml traditional bottles 24 bottles of 750ml traditional bottles 6 magnums 1500ml
Harvest: 3 barrels 2007 & 1 barrel 2008 Bottled: July 20, 2009 Acid: .65 TA 3.38pH Alcohol: 19% Sugar: 12% 2006 Toucan Wines Estate Zinfandel (Toucan Vineyard, Zinfandel & 19% Petite Sirah)
2006 in the vineyard
Warm winter days and
mild nights offered every indication that rainfall would be below average. In
February, we chanced pruning later than usual to delay growth and to avoid
seasonal frost and the fierce winds that break shoots in May. But in typical
fashion, unpredictable weather surprised the Central Coast with a rare snow
flurry in February and a late rainy season including freezing nights and very
cold days in March and April. Coupled with the cool weather and later pruning,
by May our vine growth and bud-break was a month behind normal. With nature’s
help, the summer heat-waves narrowed our delayed development. Vine vigor was
abundant and the extra growth
Harvest began in small lots on September 30th and finally ended November 13th after several weeks of dry, warm and clear weather. Late November and early December turned very cold encouraging us to begin pruning before the year ended; but 2006 ended very much like it began dry and mild.
Several days of cold soaking led to slow fermentation in small open bins and some lots were allowed extended maceration. Our small basket press performed a very gentle pressing and the wine placed in 80% new French, Hungarian, and American oak barrels and 20% in second year barrels for one year. Our 2006 Estate Zinfandel is a blend that includes 19% of our 2006 Estate Petite Sirah and proudly we bottled 123 cases of Estate Zinfandel unfined and unfiltered. A separate bottling of 48 cases of the 2006 Estate Petite Sirah was also produced and released in 2008.
The finished wine Deep-purple in color, with black-raspberry, brambly toasted-vanilla, and a candied-cherry nose, and tastes of rich ripened blackberry-cherry, blueberry & meaty tones some would say Syrah like with medium tannins and balanced acids. The 2006 opens up to a rich and elegant wine with an endless nose. Drinking beautifully today, opening nicely in the glass, this wine will reward those who cellar wines.
July, 2010: Integrated aromatics suggest very ripe plums with some faint tropical fruit components and a hint of smoke. A gentle, mature Zinfandel with nicely resolved tannins and blended flavors - Alan Boehmer, Suite101.com
Harvest: September 30th - November 13th Bottled: October 20th, 2007 Acid: .7 TA Alcohol: 14.7% Release: 123 cases
2007 Estate Petite Sirah (Toucan Vineyard, 100% Petite Sirah)
2007 in the vineyard...
A dry and cold
winter allowed us to complete pruning in January, but nights of hard-freezes for
a seven day stretch damaged water lines, foliage on trees and ultimately meant
the end for several vines in the vineyard. The rains never came in spring and
drought conditions resulted in early stress in the vineyard forcing less
established vines
Harvest of our Estate Petite Sirah occurred on September 29th. The fruit came into the winery in perfect condition and I allowed 3 plus days of cold soaking and a slow fermentation in one small open bin. After a gentle pressing, we placed the wine in small French, Hungarian, and American oak barrels. After the first racking and a portion blended with the Estate Zinfandel, the remaining Petite Sirah was placed in new Hungarian oak and French oak barrels. Our 2007 Estate Petite Sirah was bottled on February 8th 2009 after 16 months in barrel. Only 35 cases were separately bottled unfined and unfiltered. A bottling of 245 cases of our 2007 Estate Zinfandel was also bottled from our Toucan Wines estate vineyard.
The finished wine... The 2007 Estate Petite Sirah has elegant fruit with a full and round mouth feel. On release, the 2007 will still be a young wine and proper storage is recommended.
Harvest: September 29th, 2007 Bottled: February 8th, 2009 Acid: .794 Alcohol: 13.5% Release: 35 cases
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© Toucan Wines 1992-2010
2004 or 2005 vintages. The clusters and the berries formed this year were both
smaller and more concentrated. The consistent warmth and relatively dry weather
that dominated the growing season also produced less foliage on the vines, fewer
weeds and overall the yield was less than expected. Very little vine thinning
was required in July to expose the fruit to sun and air-flow and as veraison
started we noticed the vines slowing and starting an early seasonal shut-down.
By mid August the vineyard was entirely netted and we began our wait for
harvest. 
required thinning to open-up the fruit zone to airflow and sunlight. Fruit set
was consistent and prior to veraison the expected yield looked to be similar to
2005. Approaching harvest we appeared two weeks behind 2005’s schedule when a
weather cycle of very cold and damp days further pushed off harvest.
Mid-September offered one day in the high 90’s; the balance of September and
early October came to us as cool and rainy weather.
to give up their fruit. Vines less stressed by the loss of rain set less fruit
then normal on a schedule more typical of 2004 or 2005 vintages. The clusters
and the berries formed this year were both smaller and more concentrated. The
consistent warmth and relatively dry weather that dominated the growing season
also produced less foliage on the vines, fewer weeds and overall the yield was
less than expected. Very little vine thinning was required in July to expose the
fruit to sun and air-flow and as veraison started we noticed the vines slowing
and starting an early seasonal shut-down. By mid August the vineyard was
entirely netted and we began our wait for harvest.