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Wine Details
Price:
$20.00 per bottle
Description:
The 2003 Zinfandel is from the 25 year old vines of Herbert Vineyard, located in the Fairplay Appellation. The vines are head trained and drip irrigated. Harvest was undertaken after extensive thinning. Any clusters with pink berries were dropped, along with multiple passes to remove any raisins.
The color of the wine is bright ruby and gives aromas of boysenberry and brambly. Some vanilla and alluring freshly baked pastry aromas as well. This shows distinct Sierra Foothill Zinfandel varietal quality – fruit with some spice, both balanced and intense. Cardamom flavors are pronounced, red fruit – cherries and black raspberry. Nice textural quality from the barrel aging. Some smoky and toast complexity to go with the fruit.
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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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