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Easton Zinfandel, Amador County

Easton Zinfandel, Amador County Wine Details
Price: $13.00 per bottle

Description: This is the eighth release of our popularly-priced Amador County Zinfandel. It is made from grapes that grow on our beautiful, rolling mountain sites that have the classic, vermilion-colored, Amador decomposed granite soil. The 2004 has full black cherry and blackberry fruit aromas with a beautiful balance and a big, sumptuous, and juicy mouthfeel. It also presents complex spicy aromas,with a nice creamy texture derived from the 10 months time it receives in French oak barrels. This wine has become our popular, but serious cru Beaujolais-styled Zinfandel that has found its way on to many great restaurant lists across North America where it is often listed “by the glass ”. It is consistently rated one of the top Zinfandels in its class and one of the best value Zins available. Although drinkable now, it gains complexity with bottle age. This wine’s release has become highly anticipated by many of our customers each year. We think this 2004 bottling is our best effort yet.

Varietal Definition
Zinfandel:
Zinfandel is a variety of red grape planted in over 10 percent of California wine vineyards. DNA fingerprinting revealed that it is genetically equivalent to the Croatian grape Crljenak Kaštelanski, and also the Primitivo variety traditionally grown in the 'heel' of Italy. It is typically made into a robust red wine. Its taste depends on the ripeness of the grapes from which it is made. Red berry fruits like raspberry predominate in wines from cooler areas such as the Napa Valley, whereas blackberry, anise and pepper notes are more common in wines made in warmer areas such as Sonoma County. Many Zinfandels come from head pruned ‘Old Vines’. ‘Old Vine’ is generally understood to mean a vine that is more than 50 years old and that produces less than three tons per acre. ‘Head Pruning’ is an old European style of pruning that trains the vine into the shape of a goblet. It requires no wires or other complex trellis systems. Head pruning spreads the fruit uniformly along the vine and allows light penetration.In the USA a semi-sweet Rosé (blush-style) wine called ‘White Zinfandel’ has achieved widespread popularity. In fact, this popularity has so outstripped all other forms that many fans think there is actually a grape called “White Zinfandel” (there isn’t)!


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