Growing characteristics can vary substantially from site to site, although most vineyards are planted on soils derived from decomposed granite. Wineries from outside the region, like Sutter Home and Ridge, started sourcing grapes from the Sierras. Local wineries, like Boeger and Montevina, followed soon after. The Amador County towns of Plymouth and Fiddletown serve as the northern center of the appellation. Some create Zins with deeply concentrated black fruit flavors and silky, balanced tannins, he says, while others make wines that are lighter, with more fresh red fruit and finesse.
Sierra Foothills Zinfandels often evolve great elegance upon aging. Tight and often intense when young, with pronounced cinnamon-tinged spice, creamy textures and layers of tar, licorice and cedar, these Zins increasingly offer a sense of freshness, making them very inviting to drink. The county is huge—bigger than Delaware—and 70 percent forested. The majority of the vineyards lie along the Upper Russian River and Navarro River watersheds, on benchlands in and around the towns of Ukiah and Talmage, in Redwood Valley and in high-elevation subregions like Mendocino Ridge.
Italian immigrants planted much of the Zin here, relying on dry farming and sturdy head-pruned vines. Many of the vineyards were field blends that included not only Zinfandel, but also Carignane, Petite Sirah and others. Acres of these vineyards persist today, many of them the legacy of the Italian Swiss Colony era. John Parducci was the first local to bottle Zinfandel on its own, in the s.
Other early Zin pioneers include grower Charlie Barra; winemaker and organic grape-growing proponent Paul Dolan at Fetzer; the late Dr. Edmeades winemaker Ben Salazar says geography is what makes Mendocino County such a great place to grow Zinfandel. Mendocino Zinfandel can offer aromas of ripe cherries and blueberries, intermingled with cocoa powder, toasted oak and roasted coffee.
It can also be more classically briary, with blackberry and black raspberry fruit, softly textured hints of tobacco, vanilla and nutmeg, and a finish of black pepper. Thank You! So, producers started making white wine by using red grapes.
With minimum skin contact and by stopping the fermentation before all the sugar is converted to alcohol, the infamous sweet wine was born. Today, White Zinfandel has fallen largely out of fashion with consumers.
However, its approachable and easy-drinking profile makes it a mainstay on grocery store shelves and accounts for nearly 10 percent of wine sales across the country. In Italy, Zinfandel is known as Primitivo.
Its home is in Puglia, which lies in south-eastern Italy. Here, the hot climate produces high-yielding, fruity versions of the wine. High-quality versions are produced when yields are controlled.
The best food pairing is dependent on the style of Zinfandel you choose to drink. Fresh and fruity white Zinfandel tastes best with dishes that have lean protein, like chicken or pork, especially when doused in a tomato-based sauce. There has been much written in recent years about the origins of Zinfandel and Primitivo, the similar grape largely grown in Italy— current thinking is that both varieties point to a Croatian grape called Crljenak Kastelanski, although there is a claim from Macedonia that both varietals originated from there.
There is controversy also as to who first introduced the grape into the States, but what is unequivocally true is that when it was planted in California it found its true home — the State is perfect for growing it with warm, dry summers, cool nights, well-drained volcanic soils and all the rain coming in the winter. The climate and the properties of the grape — it is early ripening and can retain all its acidity prior to harvest — means that it is hugely adaptable.
It can also age for up to years, with the wines developing formidable complexity and elegance. Two blocks that were replanted in and with cuttings from four pre-phylloxera vineyards makes this lean, fragrant, juicy Zin that has all the classic hallmarks — crisp blue fruits, blackberries, cedar, tobacco — and an approachability that makes for early drinking or medium cellaring.
In all they make 47 wines from 50 vineyards. The Hayne Vineyard was planted in and produces a wine such as the that has richness and polish but a vibrant edge, from the well judged acidity to the persistent finish. Bright violet with a complex melange of black flavours liquorice, blackberry, fig, pencil shavings.
This is a blend of its most iconic vineyards, a bright, aromatic wine with blackberry, cocoa and cola nut, great acidity, freshness and balance with a nice velvety finish.
One of the best lower priced old vine Zins on the market. Deep, broody, black berries and pepper notes, with a woody spiciness, hints of leather and cinnamon on the long finish. The vibrancy of the acidity and balanced tannins are a joy. The crack of texture, bright acidity and black pepper in the mid-palate is outstanding and underpins the baskets of freshly-crushed black fruit — mulberry, plum, blackcurrant.
Inviting, fruity bouquet, rounded tannins, firm backbone — great winemaking. Picked at low brix to highlight acidity, nerve and bright-red fruit on the bright-red spectrum and low intervention gives the wine a quite unexpected fresh herb edge, with a bristling, zippy acidity that reminded me of nettles in a good way!
After the success of The Prisoner and the sale of the brand, Phinney agreed not to make Zin again for eight years and this is his return. The Jackass Vineyards and Jackass Hill cuvees are consistently outstanding and outperform every single wine on your list. This is a nice article … zin is my favorite and just recently discovered the Montelena Zin and bought some from winery ….
Just returned from tasting in Sonoma and very impressed with Hartford zins! Very fruit forward yet complex. Where are the Lodi area zins?
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