Old Vine Zinfandel, always limited always special
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. One look at these vines and you know this wine is a true representation of “old vine” Zinfandel.
The 2021 growing season enjoyed near-perfect growing conditions. The year began with unseasonably 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. We picked the grapes on September 11th. 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 cave aged for 22 months in ten American oak barrels to develop complexity and soften the tannins.
Old Vine Zinfandel encourages much discussion among Zin fans, 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, spicy flavors of dark fruits, 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.
ASR Old Vine Zinfandel always sells out quickly, order it while you can, pour a glass and reflect on the Wetzel Family’s history with Zinfandel as you enjoy this California heirloom.
Accolades:
2020: 91 points - James Suckling
