 |
|
Wine Details
Price:
$28.00 per bottle
Description:
Dove Pond Vineyard sits at the intersection of Highway 46 West and north Vineyard Drive, in the windy Templeton Gap of west Paso Robles. Dove Pond is a family-owned vineyard with low production and attention to quality and detail. Owner Rich Eastin, a professor of economics at USC, regales his students with stories of viticultural misfortune, but in fact his fruit is high quality, and the 2002 Dove Pond syrah was a Dover Canyon wine club selection.
These grapes were cold soaked to 32% sugar, then cold fermented with a Rhone-isolate yeast to emphasize aromas of cassis and violets, and aged for sixteen months in both French and American oak., for balanced nuances of spice and vanillin.
Aromas of spice and cherry liqueur lead into classic zinfandel flavors of raspberry and wild berry, with strong elements of pepper, nutmeg and toasty oak.
|
|
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)!
|
Syrah:
Syrah is the eight hundred pound gorilla of Rhone grapes! In the vineyard and the winery, Syrah is typically an easy grape to work with - healthy, early ripening, resistant to mildew and rot; suitable for winemaking in a variety of styles. The wines from Syrah are tannic without being harsh. The wines will have a taste and smell of dark blue fruit like blackberries and blackcurrant, with a strong spicy side where one can find freshly ground pepper and other spices. Syrah is famous for its part in the French blends, such as Côtes du Rhone and Châteauneuf du Pape.
|
|