High elevation Zinfandel!
Vineyard Notes: Walker Vinayard, El Dorado. The Walkers have been growing grapes in El Dorado County since the 1930’s. Their 220 acre property, sitting at 2100 ft of elevation, is planted to Zinfandel, Chardonnay, Barbera & Petite Sirah. The 2018 Zinfandel was sourced from their front vineyard, where the head-trained Zinfandel vines were planted in the 1990’s & are clones of the original plantings from the 1930’s and grafted on St. George rootstock. The vineyard soil is a coarse loam with lots of sand.
Cellar Notes: 2.44 tons of grapes were picked overnight & were ready by 7am. All of it was foot-treaded to macrobins sans sulfur for native fermentation. In barrel, this wine was stirred several times & topped regularly. After 21 months of elevage, the wine was racked & bottled unfiltered.
Tasting Notes: Like the 2017, this Zinfandel is exceptionally well-balanced, with a complex nose. Ripe red raspberries, cherries, & strawberries make up the fruit component with layers of brambly allspice & cinnamon mixed into tea & potting soil. The palate is packed with bold red fruits, warm spices & prominent tannins, filling the whole mouth & finishing with a strong earthiness.