Weird Wine of the Week- 2004 Coturri Zinfandel Frieberg Vineyards

June 2, 2009 | In WINE REVIEWS | 9 Comments

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At first glance, you might be thinking, “what in the world is weird about another Cali Zin?” After all, we know that California produces veritable oceans of the stuff- from the Central Valley to the Napa Valley.   Drank by the miners back in gold rush days, Zinfandel was in decline until the mid 1980’s when the ‘craze’ for ‘white’ zinfandel spread like a blight on the land. While its popularity declined, zinfandel properly vinified took off with cult producers like Turley demanding huge sums for its polished single vineyard zins.

Still to the question of why the Coturri zin is weird, which we wish it wasn’t- Oh God, how we wish it wasn’t weird at all. We at The UnCorker fervently hope to one day be able to consider this a delicious but un-weird wine- common even, which it certainly is not. Let us consider the ways. Its organic- and yes, lots of Cali wine is organic, but the Coturri folks put the O in organic. No SO2, no inoculation with sulfites, no yeast cultures, no use of concentrates to boost sweetness(yes, people do that all the time in California), no added water, acids, or other manipulation of the wine, all of which can be done in a wine deemed ‘organic’. The Coturri winery is a small production family run outfit- 3rd and 4th generation Coturri’s manage the vineyards, pick the grapes, and unlike just about everyone else, make the wine- no consultants, no lab technicians,  just farmers making wine.

Their wine-making processes are all gentle, all-natural small production methods; a small basket press is all they have- oh so gentle compared to the huge modern horizontal press. Open redwood fermentation tanks are covered with clean cloth and punched down by hand. The fermentation takes place over ten days to two weeks using ambient yeast with no effort at temperature control. Coturri has their own cooperage, using reconditioned old barrels to make 60 gallon barrels- weirdly small- then they constantly rack the wine, moving from barrel to barrel, finally bottling the wine unfiltered and unfined by hand, even hand labeling the bottles. A huge task mitigated by the fact that the entire production of this wine is tiny. 350 cases puny.

Oh yeah, now for the real weirdness; this zin is made from botrytised grapes and comes in at 16.2% abv. Now I know just last week, we UnCorkers were complaining about monstrous wines, but this isn’t one of those- this stuff is pure, natural wine goodness. Dark and rich, beguiling aromas of dark, sweet fruit waft from the glass- tons of glycerin coat the palate. There are exotic savory spices, raisins and some odd notes of apricot and cantalope melon. It’s a bit porty in that way that screams for blue cheese(just like a Sauterne), and weirdly, the Coturri family were kind enough to sell this for less then $25.

9 Comments »

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  1. I don’t see what can be so weird about a family run winery. The wine is pressed and loved into the bottle giving the joy I have experienced over the last three years. I say that more wineries should get back to the old vine roots and let the wine speak for itself. All of the wines from the Coturris are excellent and enjoyable.

    Keep it up Tony!!!!!

    Comment by Allen Harris — June 3, 2009 #

  2. Coturri is our favorite winery. I don’t know how they can sell such well crafted wine at such reasonable prices. When I read articles like this I have two thoughts: (1) About time they get some recognition and (2) Dammit, don’t let the word out!

    Comment by Jonathan Birge — June 3, 2009 #

  3. The ‘04 Frieberg Zin has been my favorite for years. Wineries, like mushrooms, are popping up everywhere here in Sonoma county. I am glad to know Tony’s wines and his choices to stay clean and green.

    Comment by Steve Patrick — June 3, 2009 #

  4. Tony and his family do a wonderful job with there wines, and have a great tradition in wine making passed down from earlier generations, I find this extremely rare and wonderful! Tony’s wines are absolutely as natural as you can get and not only taste awesome but are truly beneficial to drink.

    When I open a bottle for friends and family, they are amazed at the flavor, aromas, and textures and know that the product is made with love and care!

    Thanks to the Coturri family for a perfect wine!

    Comment by Steve Case — June 3, 2009 #

  5. There’s nothing like Coturri. I love the stuff. When I meet someone who thinks they’ve “tried it all”, I pop open one of these wines… people are always amazed; funny thing is it’s just natural wine — just the way God intended!

    Comment by Bill Bendelow — June 3, 2009 #

  6. Tony Coturri was in Miami some months ago; participated in a great wine dinner at Cacao restaurant, and came to our wine class the next day. I was very impressed with his wines, and became a fan! We’re planning to visit the winery later this year on a trip to CA.

    Comment by Bob Galivan — June 6, 2009 #

  7. Rare review of an even rarer wine.

    Comment by RealEstateJoe — June 13, 2009 #

  8. Tony Coturri and the Coturri family make some of the best and most pure wines imaginable. I am glad other can finally hear about this wine, yet I hope I dont have to fight to keep buying mine. By the way the 04 Freiberg Zin is a meal unto itself

    Comment by Michael Ruebusch — June 14, 2009 #

  9. I have been a member of the Coturri wine club for 2-3 years now and it is always an adventure in taste when you open up a new club arrival. Since the wines are produced naturally you never know what to expect except that you know its going to be good. Thanks Tony and family for you ongoing efforts at producing great wines.

    Comment by George Artemoff — June 19, 2009 #

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