This is a wine not to be missed. It perfectly captures the old world sensibility of tension and balance and yet is clearly a California Classic with gobs of ripe raspberry and blueberry fruit.

     Gia Domella is the fulfillment of a grape growing family's desire to create one of California's greatest un-manipulated Zinfandels. Fruit for these wines is sourced directly from the Passalacqua Estate Vineyard in the Russian River Valley. The Passalacquas have owned this vineyard since the late 1890's.

5th generation grape growers Richard and Victoria Passalacqua.

     Old vines of course.  Unfiltered and unfined. Yields are only about two and a half tons per acre. Miniscule really. Total production is only 365 cases. Seghesio Winery has quietly sourced Passalacqua fruit for years when available. The best grapes are kept for Gia Domella. The amount of flavor and texture here has to be experienced to be believed. Its constantly evolving aromas and flavors in the glass will coerce you into lingering over it even as its lustiness urges you to gulp it down. This was one of the purest zinfandels I tasted at this year's ZAP (Zinfandel Advocates and Producers) tasting in San Francisco.  http://www.zinfandel.org