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:
2016 was a warm and very dry year, the 4th year of our long drought. Fortunately these grapes love heat and the struggle of the drought has produced beautifully dense fruit flavors. 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 three day cold soak and was followed by a 30-day maceration. The must was déléstaged (pronounced 'del-ess-TAHJd) three 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:
- September 28-30 (Carignane),
Oct 4-8 (Cox Zin),
and October 10 (Petite Sirah), 2016
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Average TA/pH at Harvest:
- 0.65 pH: 3.60
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Cellar Storage/Aging:
- 16 months in American oak barrel
25% new and 1-yr-old,
14% 2-yr-old and 60% older French and American.
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Appellation:
- 99% Cox Vineyard, Mendocino County
