 |
|
Wine Details
Price:
Description:
Get Gnarlier! Dive nose-first into this dense, garnet-colored, single vineyard Zinfandel to find aromas of spicy cloves, fresh summer berry jam and cedar. Gnarlier Head Zin makes a big, round, rich first impression on the palate with explosions of juicy dark berries, ripe plums, wild raspberries and hints of vanilla, mocha and pepper. This rush of flavors is supported by solid tannins, so the flavor lingers.
Make sure your glass is half-full of Gnarlier Head Zin when you are serving ribs, blackened snapper, pizza, grilled portabello mushrooms, pepper steak or even that dark chocolate mousse.
Sommer’s vineyard, the source of Gnarlier Head grapes, is located in the western end of the Dry Creek Valley. The vineyard is up on the Benchland. The south facing Benchland allows good sun exposure, which creates ripe, fruit flavors in the grapes. The soil in this area is red gravelly clay loam. This rocky soil drains well, which stresses the vines before harvest and concentrates the varietal character in the Gnarlier Head grapes. This wine spent 14 months in small oak barrels before being carefully racked and blended into the finished Gnarlier Head Old Vine Zin.
|
|
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)!
|
|