2023 Z Zinfandel

The University of California Press/Sotheby Publications Book of California Wine was published in 1984.  It is a collection of essays from forty-four of the most knowledgeable winemakers and wine authorities that explore the achievement of California Wine from the Mission days until the early 1980s. One of the authors is Paul Draper the longtime winemaker at Ridge Vineyards in Cupertino. His specialty, Zinfandel, is the focus of his contribution and in which he describes eight different styles of Zinfandel ranging from White; Rose, Nouveau, Early maturing/Beaujolais; late maturing/Claret; Late picked/Dry; Late Picked/Sweet; and Port. Paul goes on to outline the production techniques employed to craft each style and the resulting flavors and characters of the wines. I mention this because the variety of Zinfandel styles is often cited as a problem when it comes to marketing Zinfandel. It is difficult to determine from the label just what style is in the bottle, a condition that often leads to confusion and disappointment. 

This leads us to my goal which is to explain where our “Z” Zinfandel fits on the stylistic spectrum of Zinfandel. Let’s start with the grapes. As Zinfandel ripens, it follows a progression that is remarkably consistent.  At veraison, when the green berries start to turn pink then red and onto purple, the flavors are sour and reminiscent of cranberries and unripe cherries.  As the color develops, the flavors move to minty strawberry and then as the mint fades red raspberry becomes the predominate flavor.  This transitions to black raspberry then boysenberry to blackberry and then on to plums. By the time plums move to raisins, prunes and stewed fruits, we have harvested. Beyond this the grapes have moved into the zone where they will deliver a decidedly late harvest character to the wine.  We pick between black raspberry and blackberry. We aim to have a moderate amount of alcohol, and the “Z” Zinfandel is rarely outside the range of 14.5% to 14.8%.  Our production techniques are designed to extract the most color and flavor from the skins, while at the same time minimizing the aggressive tannins leached from the seeds. The result is a wine with good color and rich full flavors but without the astringent finish that often requires years in the cellar to mellow. After 12 to 14 months of barrel aging, the wine is blended and bottled with the juicy bright fruit of the early maturing/Beaujolais yet the richness and staying power of the late maturing/Claret.  The “Z” Zinfandel lands smack dab in the “Goldilocks” zone; fruit forward, rich fully developed flavors and smooth elegant tannins.