Wine Article

What more can we say about Papera that has not been said? In the small constellation of old vine vineyards (Carlisle, Montafi, Mancini, Saitone, Zeigler, Two Acres, and others) in the Piner-Olivet area of Russian River Valley, it is one of the most storied. Planted in 1934 and then saved from a D9 tractor with bad intentions by Stuart Coulson, it has become one of the greatest and most consistent vineyards in an area renowned for exceptional Zinfandel. Our block 6 not only contains wonderful Zinfandel but also a large amount of Carignan, Valdigue, and more, even including a few rare vines of Putzscheere, aka Green Hungarian. Unlike almost all other areas of the state, the Russian River Valley had higher than normal crops in 2021, which has made for a wine of greater generosity and fruit forwardness than some of its stablemates. Though Papera will always age gracefully on the back of its great natural acidity, this, along with Carlisle and Dolinsek, will be good options if one really wants to pop a cork soon to get insight into the vintage.

"The 2021 Papera Ranch Heritage Wine is bright and exuberant right out of the glass. Vibrant acids and effusive floral top notes play off a core of red/purplish berry fruit. This mid-weight, exuberant Russian River wine its deep and flavorful, but also remains light on its feet. All the elements are so nicely balanced. As always, Carignane plays a strong supporting role in the Papera Ranch." -Antonio Galloni, 95pts