Unti Vineyards is a family owned and operated winery located in the town of Healdsburg in Dry Creek Valley, California. They own about 60 acres of vines, 35 of which are situated around the winery itself, that are planted with a wide variety of grape varietals, including Zinfandel, Syrah, Sangiovese, Petite Sirah, Grenache Noir, Mourvedre, Pinot Noir, Montepulciano, Grenache Blanc, Picpoul Blanc, and Vermentino.

As you can tell from that list of varietals, Unti’s focus is on producing a large part of its wines from Rhone and Italian varietals alongside the common California varietals Zinfandel and Pinot Noir. As a result, their list of current releases numbers 12 different wines, and there are a number of other wines they’ve made in the past that they are not currently offering.

The Segromigno is one of those wines that is not currently being offered. The last vintage they produced was a 2006, which this bottle is from. Named after a town in Tuscany, Segromigno is a blend of 92% Sangiovese, 4% Syrah, and 4% Barbera. The Sangiovese is from vines recently planted, whereas the Syrah and Barbera are from vines planted in  1998.

The grapes were harvested between September 25 and October 27. The wine spent 11 months aging in French oak, 15% of which were new barrels, and was bottled on September 10, 2007.

Unti refers to this as “a blended Cal-Ital”, and in some ways I think this is an apt description. If you’ve tasted many Italian-produced Sangiovese wines you’ll recognize several of the flavors in this wine, namely a sort of rich yet coarse dark red fruitiness. Added to that is a plush vibrancy that you find in some of the best Dry Creek Valley Zinfandels, minus Zinfandel’s spiciness.

The Segromigno pours medium ruby-red, the brushed red color of slightly overripe raspberries.  The nose has vibrant raspberries and cherries, hints of creamy oak and vanilla, and a dintinct note of black tea. On the palate, the dark red fruit flavors remain dominant, underscored by vanilla and a hint of dark chocolate. The wine has a velvety, plushly textured body, with a brightening note of acidity. The finish continues the dark red fruit theme, yet a bit more vibrant and fresh tasting than on the palate, again underscored by slightly smoky notes of black tea.

This was a nice, very drinkable and enjoyable red wine, and I would definitely enjoy the chance to try some of their other wines in the future, given the chance. Perhaps on our trip out there later this month. Although, they’re only open by appointment, which may take more planning than we’re accustomed to…