Old Vine Zinfandel is all about complexity and nuance, each sip shares the story of the vine.
Winemaker Kevin Hall selected Alexander Valley Zinfandel from a single 55 year old vineyard near the winery for this small production wine. The giant, gnarly old vines are head trained and spur pruned, yielding small clusters with fewer grapes per vine.
The 2020 growing season enjoyed near-perfect growing conditions. The year began with un-seasonably warm temperatures, and lower than normal rainfall. This was followed by weeks of steady daytime heat and cool evenings, allowing the grapes to ripen evenly. At harvest, the quality of the fruit was excellent with high acidity and intense flavors. The small lot was cold soaked for 24 hours, then inoculated with a yeast that enhanced the Zinfandel's inherent fruitiness and spiciness. After fermentation and pressing, the wine was aged for 21 months in seven American oak barrels to develop complexity and soften the tannins.
Old Vine Zinfandel encourages contemplation, and this bottle doesn’t disappoint. On the nose there are earthy aromas of spicy dark fruits, plum, black cherry, brown sugar, chocolate, dried blueberry and cherry, vanilla and prune. In the glass there are rich flavors of dark fruits, spice, dried cherry, graphite, oak, vanilla, slight stone fruit and cocoa powder. This is rich wine with loads of fruit and balanced acidity on the long finish.
The ASR Old Vine Zinfandel always sells out quickly, order it while you can, then savor it and reflect on the Wetzel Family’s history with Zinfandel as you enjoy a glass.
Accolades:
2020: 92 points - James Suckling
