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Wine Details
Price:
$30.00 per bottle
Description:
The vines in Rich Pato’s striking, old-vine parcel celebrate their 110th birthday this year, a significant milestone for vineyards and one rarely seen in these days of cloning and selective breeding. These Zinfandel vines are own-rooted, not grafted onto phylloxera-resistant rootstock -- one of the last such stands of vines remaining in California. Every aspect of farming this 20 acre vineyard is personally overseen by Rich Pato, and his keen attention to detail is evident. The vineyard yielded just 23 tons of fruit in 2004, all of it perfectly ripened. The finished wine is dark, plump, rich and soft enough to be immediately engaging. The aroma is like a bowl of freshly crushed strawberries. I can’t imagine a wine being more inviting.
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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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