Old Vine Mendocino Zinfandel is a treasure. Grown on the benchlands and slopes of mountainsides — this 60 plus year old vine Zinfandel was named for these wild- looking vines and also for the uninoculated, or “wild,” yeast ferment that was used to create it. It takes a lot of effort to tame this wild fruit, but it is worth all the trouble. Wild Thing is dangerously good! Remember – you are what you drink ….
Winemaker Notes:
Aromas of black cherry, ripe plum and raspberry fruit combine with a hint of cigar box, and vanilla-oak baking spice loveliness. Smoothly textured in mouth, and the palate is very creamy and round, with a finish that is long with lush jammy fruit.
Technical Notes:
We picked a portion of the vineyard at lower sugar than usual due to the threat of imminent rain, leaving the balance of the vines to ripen almost a month longer. Both lots were bled for concentration, and that saignée portion was used in our Rendezvous Rosé. As usual, our Wild Thing Zinfandel went through fermentation uninoculated, relying on a healthy WILD yeast population from the organic vineyard to create a terroir-driven complexity of aroma and flavors. Our wild fermentation started after a four day cold soak and was followed by a 30-day maceration. The must was déléstaged (pronounced 'del-ess-TAHJd) three-four times prior to the wine reaching 10°Brix. That is the fancy, French term for a rack and return—a process that aerates the wine, helps to maintain a healthy yeast population, and builds mouthfeel volume with gentle extraction from the skins.
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Harvest Date:
- October 5-8 and November 1-2, 2018
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Average TA/pH at Harvest:
- 0.52 TA/3.55 pH
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Cellar Storage/Aging:
- 14 months in American oak barrels; 20% new and 1-yr-old, 20% 2-yr-old and 60% older French and American.
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Varietal:
- 78% Old Vine Zinfandel, 14% old vine Carignane, 8% Petite Sirah
*** Sustainably Farmed and Organically Grown
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Appellation:
- 90% Cox Vineyard, Mendocino County
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Release Date:
- June 13, 2021
