Motto Wines Zinfandel Unabashed 2016

Cellar for up to 3 years. No need to decant.

The winemakers at Motto set out to make a good wine, plain and simple. When their methods made them appear to push the boundaries and appear not as classic as other winemakers, they decided to embrace that perception and make it their motto.

To add texture to the wine yet also retain the varietal character and freshness, a combination of oak barrels and stainless-steel tanks to age the wine. The fermentation process is also done with the grapes separated by the lots they come from to allow each to evolve separately and reveal their true character. The wine produced from the separate lots is then blended together in different ratios for each vintage to present a classic dark and bold California wine with their distinct take.

The wine is beautiful and dark in the glass. The first aromas are explosions of bright and exciting fruit notes: cranberry, plum, and marionberry. Once the fruit subsides, soft leathery notes remove the fruity edge. On the palate, the fruit notes evolve into darker notes of raspberry and blackberry. The leather gives way to a soft oak spice and a dark chocolate note.

To pair with food, the winemaker recommends some of his favorites: grilled cheese, meatloaf, BBQ ribs, fried chicken, pulled pork sandwiches and spaghetti with meatballs