To add to a previous post on Chilean Zinfandel, I decided to do an Old Vine California Zinfandel Field Blend Taste Off while I’m in California. Beyond Zinfandel, these bottles represent the heritage of California winemaking and wine all over the world for that matter.
Most of California’s oldest vineyards that survived prohibition are Zinfandel-based field blends. Some contain vines of rare varietals–some practically extinct–and rootstocks of varietals that were once popular in California before California became more influenced by French varietals. In many respects, it mirrors the history of Chilean wine which has come to be dominated by French varietals but previously grew other varietals that are rarer today.
Legendary California producer Ridge, Carlisle (owned by Mike Officer) and Bedrock Wine Co. (owned by Morgan Twain-Peterson, son of Ravenswood’s Joel Peterson), are three of the leaders in preserving these old vineyards despite other producers looking to plow old vines to replace them with higher-yielding vines to produce whatever the latest varietal trend is for a quick buck. In fact, they head the Historical Vineyard Society, whose mission is to preserve old California vineyards. However, these producers not only preserve California’s winemaking history, but they also produce more interesting, complex, uniquely California wines. Some other producers to look for that help preserve and produce old-vine Zinfandel are Turley, Seghesio, Robert Biale, Acorn, Arnot-Roberts and Rosenblum.
What excites me as a wine explorer is each vineyard has its own special history and make-up of varieties. Some have been run by families for generations, and the above producers use their grapes. Others are owned by the above producers.
2018 Ridge Pagani Ranch Zinfandel Sonoma
The oldest vines of Pagani Ranch date back to the 1880’s and it’s one of California’s most famous vineyards. The rootstock is mostly Lenoir, which they stopped doing in the late 1880’s. Lenoir used to be a popular grape in California in the 19th century, and there’s still a bit in Pagani Ranch. However, this Ridge rendition of Pagani is 84% Zinfandel, 9% Alicante Bouschet and 7% Petite Sirah. Given the varietal composition of this wine, it probably comes from the “younger” part of the vineyard that was planted in the 1920’s. However, I know Bedrock’s Pagani Ranch has some Lenoir and other lesser-known varietals.
13 months in American Oak (16% new, the rest 1-5 years old). Native yeasts. This had the most acidity and tannins of the three. It’s the most zippy and primary. Lots of herbal and spicy notes that go with the ripe fruit. 92+
2014 Bedrock Wine Company “Nervo Ranch” Heritage Alexander Valley
Nervo Ranch is located south of Geyserville. The oldest vines were planted in 1896. It’s dominated by two varietals: Zinfandel and Negrette. Negrette has an interesting history because it was once called Pinot St. George, which was used in bottlings labeled as “Burgundy.” In California in the late 19th century, this meant it was a more powerful and darker wine. Grapes such as Chauché Noir, Trousseau, Robin Noir, Cinsault and Crabb’s Burgundy (Refosco) were also used under the name “Burgundy,” and had nothing to do with the Burgundy from France even though they thought Pinot St. George (Negrette) was related to Pinot Noir from Burgundy. “Claret” on the other hand, meant it was a more elegant wine back then. Abouriou, Alicante Bouschet, Carignan, Cinsault, Petite Sirah, Valdiguie, Trousseau Noir, Trousseau Gris, Cardinal, Burger, Colombard, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and other varieties can be found in this Nervo Ranch blend too.
This was the darkest fruited of the three with the least acidity, but it was the roundest, probably due to the age. It had a lot of smoke and tobacco notes to go with dark ripe fruit. Later, some slight medicinal notes show. 92
2016 Carlisle “Carlisle Vineyard” Russian River Valley Zinfandel
This comes from Carlisle’s estate vineyard which was planted in 1927. Surrounded by and long cared for by Italian immigrants, it is one of the coolest vineyards a wine geek can find. This is because they have identified 40 different varieties in the vineyard including one that they have yet to figure out what it is. For all the wine geeks out there, I’m going to list all of them. Some are hybrids, white grapes and table grapes. This wine is 88% Zinfandel with the rest being Syrah, Petite Sirah, Peloursin (virtually extinct), Alicante Bouschet, Grand Noir, Petit Bouschet, Carignan, Tempranillo, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Mission (Pais), Abouriou, Portuguese Blue, Mourvedre, Mondeuse Noire, Aramon, Grec Rouge, Chaillaud, Trousseau Noir, Trousseau Gris, Grenache Blanc, Muscat of Hamburg (Black Muscat), Vitis Labrusca, Ribier, Flame Tokay, Clairette Blanche, Chenin Blanc, Albillo Mayor, Palomino, Malvasia Bianca, Chasselas Blanc, Criolla Mediana, Muscadelle, Colombard, Muscat of Alexandria, Calzin, Auburn, Thompson Seedless, and unknown.
Only 694 cases made. Unfined and Unfiltered. Darkest in color of the three. This one also had good acidity like the Ridge, but there was a touch of heat. All 3 were around 14.5-15% alcohol but are relatively elegant compared to an average California Zin. This one has an earthy, spicy and herbal side to it too. Some red licorice. On the second day, the nose had a beautiful floral note and grapefruit. It became much more red fruited and there was no more heat. It continues to gain complexity, which makes sense given all varietals in this wine.. 93+
Conclusion
All of these wines were similar and because they were different vintages, you could see the evolution of Zin with each bottle. The acidity and structure soften up as the wine gets older. At the same time, there are some differences that come from the terroir and blend too, but all of them do make a more restrained Zinfandel that lets the terroir speak compared to most. They stay relatively elegant despite the high alcohol. They’re still bold tongue-staining, heady wines but with more finesse and structure. None are jammy. I still feel the Carlisle and Ridge can improve. The Nervo Ranch still has plenty of tannins to go on longer too. All these are Zins that can age 10+ years from their vintage year.
