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Wine Details
Price:
$20.00 per bottle
Description:
The Vassar vineyard is 30 years old and these grapes are from a non-irrigated, head-trained section. The grapes were de-stemmed and fermented in small fermentors, using natural as well as commercial yeasts. It was aged in American and French oak and bottled in August 2002. The bouquet has bright fruit with nuances of vanilla and oak. As usual the Vassar Zin has beautiful cherry and cranberry flavors, a smooth entry and a lingering finish. There is more power and depth to this vintage due to slightly riper fruit (one distributor described it as "a bear in a bottle"). This has been one of our favorite vineyards since we first discovered it in 1995. The firm tannins and depth of fruit will allow this wine to continue to improve over the next few years.
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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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