Vine Times, September 2002

(PLACERVILLE, CA) Like the rocket’s red glare, the glow of America’s claim-to-fame wine, Zinfandel, has been a patriotic presence at summer barbeques this year. Almost lost in obscurity as a hearty blending grape, this California varietal has now grabbed a loyal and vocal following worldwide. Much research has been devoted to Zinfandel’s genetic origins, but of more interest to wine lovers is the ongoing search for more and better Zinfandel to try. The quest leads to the mountain elevations of El Dorado, where a natural intensity of flavor and color is a Zinophile’s dream.

El Dorado is one of California’s oldest vineyard areas with over 150 years of grape history. First planted by immigrants in the Gold Rush era, Zinfandel has struggled and prevailed in El Dorado’s high altitudes. Modern El Dorado is now winning a following for Rhône and Bordeaux varietals, but Zinfandel was the region’s first ambassador to the wine world. A taste tour of the family-run tasting rooms here reveals that Zinfandel is not only alive and well, but only getting better in El Dorado.

Bright, warm days are the norm here. As the sun sets, reflecting pink and orange hues on the snowy Sierra peaks, the temperature drops quickly. This nightly chill extends the ripening process, producing wines that are more complex and balanced. “El Dorado Zinfandel tends to taste of fresh fruit and spice, without the raisiny, dried prune side of Zin,” observes Paul Bush, the second generation to run Madroña Vineyards. “We get the same amount of ripeness, but the growing season is longer. The grapes have more time to develop flavor. We even have a Late Harvest Zin that comes in at 32 brix (a sugar measurement that indicates ripeness). It hangs on the vine until we pick it in November, which is about two months later than the first grapes are picked. And the wine it makes still tastes like blackberries. It’s not raisiny at all.”

Winemaking practices here skew toward small batches and single vineyard bottlings. The terrain can change dramatically on a property of just a few acres, so vintners are keenly sensitive to what each load of grapes calls for in the winery, whether it is a cold soak to softly extract flavor and color, or a certain source of oak barrel to match the fruit’s character. “We do multiple picks with our Zin; we only bring in what’s ready” says Paul Bush. “We have six different lots to work with, from the same vineyard.”

“It’s an ongoing learning curve,” says vintner Ed Coulson of Coulson Winery, who brought in his first vintage of the Safari Vineyard Zinfandel in 2000. A contrast to the free-form head-pruned vines of yesteryear, the Safari Vineyard is trained on a vertical trellis. Aggressive leaf removal and cluster thinning make for concentrated flavor intensity, Coulson says, and the results merited a "Single Vineyard Designation".

Most Zin makers here offer two or three styles. Restraint is needed in the vineyard to make the most refined style – a smooth bodied, bold and fresh fruit-driven wine with some spice to it. With lower alcohol and a crisper acidity, these wines are zingy food flavor enhancers, pairing well with BBQ chicken pizza or lamb shanks braised in the same Zin that’s in your glass.

“We’ve bucked the trend towards blockbuster high-alcohol Zins, but now balance is coming back in demand,” says John MacCready, owner and winemaker of Sierra Vista Vineyards & Winery. “Our Zin comes into its own with food.” To get Zinfandel to ripen evenly, and thus achieve full flavor without high alcohol levels, MacCready changed the original head-trained vines of the Reeves Vineyard to a bilateral cordon trellis system. This allows for careful pruning and even exposure.

Those who say bigger is better swear by the “Monster Zin” style, a ripe, higher alcohol and lushly-bodied pot of intense raspberry jam flavor, sometimes spiced by licorice, black pepper and clove. This style does well with barrel aging, as it has more than enough action to balance the toasty vanilla influence of new oak. “Our 2000 yields were so low, below 3 tons an acre, that the fruit had mind-blowing intensity,” says winemaker Nancy Steel of Perry Creek Vineyards, who separates the lots into 3 different Zinfandel interpretations. Steele rounded out her scanty estate harvest with 25% from the respected Walker Vineyard to make the “Cellar Select” Zinfandel 2000, a hand-numbered limited release that is aged for 11 months in a combination of French and American oak.

Some vintners dare to be even more Zinful with Late Harvest Zinfandel. Concentrated and viscous, with aromas and flavors of berry pies and chocolate raspberry truffles, Late Harvest Zin is made into various dessert wines. It’s a sensual, satisfying ending to a fine dinner, with or without a sweet on the side.

Whether America’s dinner tables call for refined elegance, a monster fruit bomb, or a not-just-sweet late harvest elixir, look to the long time champions of America’s most famous grape. Seekers who scale these peaks will remember El Dorado Zinfandel for its deep, luscious flavor, long after the twilight’s last gleaming.

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The 20 family winemakers of the El Dorado Winery Association invite you to discover these vibrant Zinfandels for yourself at your favorite wine shop or restaurant, or by ordering directly from our family run tasting rooms. Clear your head of the fog/heat/smog and come up and see us! El Dorado is less than a two-hour drive from San Francisco, Napa, Sacramento or Reno.