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Wine Details
Price:
$20.00 per bottle
Description:
Harvested from the Victoria Block of Lopez Ranch, this vineyard and the wines it produces are very consistent and luscious. The 2003 is rich in strawberry, blackberry and cherry aromas, with hints of prune and plum. The American oak has wrapped itself around the fruit character with soft smokey note and given a very solid structure for tannins to build upon. Dark chocolate and caramel covered cherries, plum jam, a touch of bay leaf and black pepper are all flavors that come forth in this complex wine. The 2003 Zinfandel has the potential for aging is over the next five to six years. A nice steak, like a New York Strip, would be the perfect way to reunite the east coast with this long since west coast transplant.
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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)!
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