Given the opportunity to explore exceptional wine from compelling areas is something I can’t refuse. Recently, I was invited to participate in the third of four ZinEx Flights seminars sponsored by Zinfandel Advocates & Producers. The virtual wine education experience focused on three legendary Zinfandel vineyards in Sonoma County and was moderated by Virginie Boone, contributing editor at Wine Enthusiast. By the conclusion of the seminar, my palate and thirst for knowledge were more than satiated. And now, I continue to express appreciation for the history and terroir of Sonoma County.
Zinfandel Advocates & Producers
Members of Zinfandel Advocates & Producers are on a mission to preserve California’s iconic vineyards upon which America’s grape, Zinfandel, is produced. The versatility of Zinfandel allows it to be cultivated throughout California where different vineyards and different winemaking styles result in different expressions. The question remains, though. How does a vineyard become legendary?
One indicator of a legendary vineyard is how long the vines have been in the ground. The vineyard develops a reputation for quality and becomes sought after by both winemakers and wine lovers over time. In the hands of exceptional farmers and winemakers, wines made from these vineyards generally have the ability to age in the bottle.
The aging of a wine potentially improves its structure, backbone, complexity, balance and substance, ultimately enhancing your tasting experience. A library of vintages from a single vineyard provides the wine taster the opportunity to explore year over year differences not present in bottles sourced from a blend of vineyards. Bottling a wine from a single vineyard is considered a higher quality expression of the fruit and the land Zinfandel Advocates & Producers
Three Legendary Zinfandel Vineyards
Limerick Lane
Jake Bilbro and his wife Alexis own award-winning Limerick Lane Cellars and Limerick Lane Vineyards. There, estate grown wines “reflect the personality, history, and heartbeat” of the property. He’s a fourth generation Sonoma County winemaker and grape grower who attended college at University of California – Santa Barbara. After graduation, he traveled throughout the United States and as far as Fiji and New Zealand. Upon his return, he helped run Marietta Cellars with his father, then purchased the Limerick Lane Estate, a 30-acre property located in the northeast corner of Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley.
Of course, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are on the Russian River Valley’s calling card, but it’s also home to some of the oldest Zinfandel vines in California, planted by Italian immigrants as far back as the late 1800s. Jake Bilbro shared, “There’s beauty in old vines” and when he spoke (and we tasted), it was clear that the “gravity and timelessness” of the region exude distinct flavor and aromas.
At Limerick Lane, premium examples of Russian River Valley Zinfandel are produced. The estate is “at an exact point where soil, water levels, rocks, sunshine, wind and fog meet. Grapevines thrive in this precise environment. Without any one of these individual factors, these wines wouldn’t exist.” 16.5 acres of Zinfandel are farmed organically with irrigation only when needed and as little as possible. There are no conventional herbicides used and fewer “invasive farming techniques” deployed.
Photo Credit: Limerick Lane Vineyards
2019 Limerick Lane Vineyard, Russian River Valley ($42) was exceptional. Alluring aromas of cracked peppercorns, violets, blackberries, sweet tobacco and touch of mint led to elegance on the palate. Framed with firm tannins and lasting acidity, flavors of lush red fruit including strawberries and raspberries, chalk and spice were distinctive. Jake Bilbro had us all nodding in agreement when he stated, “When wine is great, it’s a lifestyle!”
Armida Winery
The Cousins and Foley families and their team have celebrated 25 years of winemaking in the Dry Creek and Russian River Valleys. Their small lot vineyard designated wines include a number of varieties from various areas, but Zinfandel from Maple Vineyards in Dry Creek Valley are a standout. Maple Vineyards is located on the high bench-land in the heart of Dry Creek Valley. It’s the oldest block, planted in 1910 when the rich history and classic traditions of the region were established. In fact, the vineyards outlasted Prohibition despite the fact that 75% of vines in Sonoma County were removed during that time. David Rafanelli, vineyard owner, maintains the traditions of the area through his hands-on approach to farming techniques. Dry farming, whereby older vines aren’t irrigated, results in a high level of stress on the vines that ultimately produce smaller berries with lush flavors.
Photo Credit: Armida
“When I’m making wine from this old vineyard, I think about the shoulders I stand upon, the men and women who started making Zinfandel in Dry Creek Valley in the 1850s, and how amazingly lucky I am to work with this incredible fruit and continue the legacy of epic Dry Creek Zinfandel,” stated Winemaker Brandon Lapides. A blend of 92% Zinfandel and 8% Petite Sirah, 2018 Armida Zinfandel, Maple Vineyard, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County ($44) was a moderate to full bodied example with brilliant structure and texture. Notes of blackberries, bramble, leather, violets, black cherries, cassis, spice and pepper were opulent and sexy. Balanced with the variety’s signature acidity and moderate tannins, this savory, spicy Zinfandel has the ability to age for another fifteen years.
Mauritson Wines
The Mauritson family has lived and grown grapes in the Dry Creek Valley since 1868 and through the years, more vineyards were acquired. The business entailed delivering “superior fruit for regional winemakers to work with year after year”. Currently, the family manages 310 acres under vine throughout Dry Creek Valley, Alexander Valley, and Rockpile Appellations.
Clay Mauritson, Owner and Winemaker, is a sixth-generation member of this well-respected grape growing family. Armed with a business degree from the University of Oregon, Clay returned to the family business in the 1990s with a determination to add winemaking efforts to its already stellar operations. After sharpening his winemaking skills and learning as much as he could about vineyard operations at a variety of area wineries, Clay released the first Mauritson Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel in 1998. Since 2002, he has worked full time in the Mauritson Family Wine Project. His premise is simple: “You need exceptional fruit to make exceptional wine.”
The family’s Rockpile homestead and ranch grew to 4000 acres by the early 1960s. Then, all but 700 ridgetop acres were purchased by the Army Corps of Engineers to develop Lake Sonoma. Subsequently, the Rockpile property was used for sheep grazing for about 30 years. Within the Rockpile appellation is Jack’s Cabin Vineyard, named after Jack Ireland, one of the original inhabitants of the Dry Creek Valley area. This “crazy old hermit” was known for stories involving “moonshine, guns, jail, an insane asylum and public nudity.” Growing up, Clay remembers Jack Ireland’s old, dilapidated cabin as presumably haunted as well as his father’s threats, “if you misbehave, we’re going to leave you at Jack’s Cabin!”
Photo Credit: Mauritson Wines
Jack’s Cabin Vineyard is one of four single vineyard Rockpile Zinfandels produced by Mauritson Wines. Each is unique in their own way. Jack’s Cabin Vineyard, though, has a southern exposure to the sun, is planted at around a 10 to 15-degree slope, and is mostly of loam soils. Away from the strong coastal breezes, the wines cultivated there mirror the fact that “the vineyard is definitely the least stressed of all the blocks.”
Of 95% Zinfandel and 5% Petite Sirah, Mauritson Wines Jack’s Cabin Vineyard, Rockpile ($49) offered intense aromas of ripe fruit compote, blackberries, dark cherries, earth and herbs. The palate burst with rich and pure flavors of strawberries and raspberries framed with lush acidity and soft tannins.
“Real legends aren’t born, real legends are grown,” state those at Zinfandel Advocates & Producers. At Limerick Lane Vineyards, Armida, and Mauritson Wines, discover Sonoma County legends with every sip.
Cheers! ~ Cindy
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