Zin in the Santa Cruz Mountains: Thin on Vines, Rich in Flavors
http://californiawineandfood.com/articles/306/1/Zin-in-the-Santa-Cruz-Mountains-Thin-on-Vines-Rich-in-Flavors/Page1.html
CWF Sources
By CWF Sources
Published on 01/25/2007
The Santa Cruz Mountains would not bubble to the top of the heap when you say Zinfandel. In fact, most of the wineries who make Zin in this region source it elsewhere, but there are...
Zin in the Santa Cruz Mountains: Thin on Vines, Rich in Flavors
The Santa Cruz Mountains would not bubble to the top of the heap when you say Zinfandel. In fact, most of the wineries who make Zin in this region source it elsewhere, but there are some fine examples of what this region can produce, if beat about by the head and otherwise physically threatened. In general, the cool climate and long growing season of this appellation really test the grower’s patience, but the resulting wines tend to be elegant, lower in alcohol than those from Amador, Paso and Lodi, and they tend to reveal their very peppery personalities a lot more as well.
Young head-trained vine at
Fernwood.
On the eve of that bacchanalian festival of Zin, the annual ZAP tasting being held this coming Saturday in San Francisco, let’s take a look at who’s making Zinfandel in the Santa Cruz Mountains and what they’re saying about it.
Michael Muccigrosso of Muccigrosso Vineyards lives basically next door to me in the vertically challenging mountains off of Bear Creek Road. There are days when it feels like Zin weather here, with temps well above 100, but there are far more days and nights when it is downright chilly, and sometimes even frosty. Michael and Lynn Muccigrosso planted Zin and Cab here back in the 1980s. Like most newbies to viticulture, they planted what they liked to drink and screw the consequences. Fortunately for Lynn and Michael, they’ve been fairly lucky with the Zin, but the Cab was grafted to Pinot. Their two-acre dry-farmed Zin vineyard yielded about 1.5 tons in 2006. He sources Zin from other areas in Santa Clara and Portola Valley to create a highly acclaimed Zinfandel called Lyn Zin. He says the Santa Cruz Mountains estate fruit is very jammy, with dark flavors and a great mouthfeel. The sold-out 2003 has to be one of my favorite of all Zinfandels: very elegant, filled with nicely ripe but not sweet fruit, great pepperiness and characterized by a poise and finesse that is rare for this varietal.
Matt Oettinger of Fernwood Cellars has been making an estate Zin from his property in the Redwood Retreat area in the southern part of the appellation since 2001. He says, “We've always been happy with it and the 2002 won "Best Red of the Santa Cruz Mountains" at the appellation competition. Our vines are all head-trained and typically result in a wine which lends itself towards black pepper and allspice. Quite tannic and usually need a few years of cellaring time to fully achieve their greatness. We also make an El Dorado Zinfandel from my father’s vineyard in Placerville. It tends to be jammy and fruit forward, with very little spice and not much tannin.”
I asked Matt what the yields were on the estate Zin and what the sugar levels usually were, and if he had sampled any other appellation Zinfandels. “The estate Zin produces about two tons per acre. We typically harvest it around 24.5-25 Brix. I have had Ridge's Zin from the Jimsomere Vineyard, although I think those vines have been torn out. I've had the Pichetti Zin. They both seemed to have that style of pepper, and spice, with not much of that "blackberry-jam" quality that a lot of Zins (from other regions) have.”
Tony Craig, winemaker at Savannah-Chanelle in Saratoga, has the great fortune of being able to work with a classic old-style head trained Zin vineyard originally planted in 1910. When asked what he thought of Zins from the Santa Cruz Mountains appellation, he had this to say: “SCM Zins have that wonderful black pepper spice that you used to see in most Zins in California, but rarely see anymore. This is especially true of the Savannah-Chanelle Zin. Probably because it is on its own rootstock and has never been heat-treated. If I recall correctly, I remember a conversation about this while I was at David Bruce, apparently, most vine cuttings today go through some kind of heat treatment to kill off any viruses prior to planting. This is how most nurseries verify that their cuttings are virus free. This results in lower spicy characteristics in finished wine. Some folks seem to think that it enhances fruitiness. If all of this is true, and it bears some investigation, I would rather see a Zin with all of its inherent aroma/flavour profile. To do something to a vine that diminishes one character and enhances another is ok if you are trying to get rid of a problem, but if it results in a simple fruity wine that is one-dimensional... I'd rather take my chances with a vine source that is naturally clean and not do the heat treatment. Which may be easier said than done today.”
There are not many acres in the mountains planted to Zin, but it appears Savannah-Chanelle may have one of the larger plantings. Tony told me, “I do not know for sure how many acres there are in the mountains, but we have approximately five acres that yields about 1 to 1.5 tons per acre. The vines range from 35 to 100 years old and most are on their way out. Nothing lives forever.”
Greg Nolten and friends.
When asked about the character of the estate Zin, Tony had this to say: “The natural acidity of Zin plus the acidic nature of the soil at Savannah-Chanelle, creates Zins with amazing ageing potential. Also, it creates a winemaking issue in that I have to be careful when to pick; sugar content is only a small part of the story. If I pick when most folks would, i.e. at 24 – 25 brix, the acid would be so high in the wine that it would rip the enamel off your teeth. Consequently, I have to pick it much riper than I would typically pick any other varietal, and this of course creates a rich bold fruity and spicy wine. By chance, this is also the preferred California Zin style that most Zin drinkers seem to want these days.” He ages the Zinfandel in both American and Hungarian oak. The bottle of 2003 I sampled was beyond belief fantastic: everything in perfect balance from start to finish. Simply gorgeous, it’s worth joining the wine club just to get this wine.
Greg Nolten of Zayante Vineyards has been growing and making Zin for over two decades. He has about four acres of Zin planted (Mendocino and Ricetti clones, as well as cuttings from the Pichetti vineyard in Cupertino) and wants to plant more. His yields are about three to three-and-a-half tons per acre, which is decent for this mountainous area. He notes that Zin is fairly easy to grow in that it tends to ripen evenly. He usually harvests the first or second week of October, and he vinifies the clones separately. Greg’s Zin is characterized by earthy aromas of plum and strawberry jam. The Pichetti clone tends to produce intense raspberry flavors and the Mendocino clone provides the intense plum flavors. The wines always have a distinctive core of acidity, accentuated by racy black pepper spice that makes them excellent with food. Greg sells fruit to Ryan Beauregard of Beauregard Cellars, who likes to let the fruit hang longer than Greg would, and it yields a much headier wine. He notes that Ryan’s motto is “I want to give people their money’s worth!” Greg also sold Zin to Storrs in 2005. At 14.6% alcohol, the 2004 Zayante Zin is only $14, which makes it a buck a percent. That’s serious bang for the buck! And it tastes good, too.
Beauregard Cellars’ Ryan Beauregard is an avowed Zinfandel lover. “ I LOVE Zin!” he proclaims. What does he love about Santa Cruz Mountains Zin? “The high acidity and longer hang time makes for really slow berry development and an intensity that could only come from mountain fruit. It’s fantastic!” He makes more different Zins and more of them than anyone else in the appellation. He recently replanted the Beauregard Ranch vineyard in Bonny Doon to the Primitivo clone. He doesn’t know what the clone planted previously by his grandfather was, but he does know it had enormous, heavy clusters weighing about two pounds each. He also knows it ripened really late: usually some time in December. They even picked in January one year! The Primitivo clone produces much smaller clusters, that weigh more like a half-pound each, and ripen much sooner. And he hopes to get more like three tons per acre instead of two. Ryan makes both a Zayante Vineyard dry Zin and a Zin port. He describes the 2004 Zayante Vineyard designate, which retails at $35, as very high in acid, lighter style than his estate, and packing more bright fruit, with tart blackberry and raspberry flavors. “It’s totally awesome fruit!” he enthuses. On the other hand, his estate Zin from the Beauregard Ranch, which was once a huge apple farm, is more lushly fruity. The tasting notes point to aromas of star anise and white pepper, with dried cranberry and raspberry jam on the palate. The pairing suggestion is for summer berries with fresh cream. Somehow, I just can’t see most ZAP attendees going for that one.
Laura Ness is a long-time resident of the Santa Cruz Mountains, and enjoys
writing about wines with character and the characters who make them
Editor’s note: Ridge Vineyards and Storrs will be the only two Santa Cruz Mountains wineries appearing at the ZAP Tasting at Fort Mason in San Francisco on Janaury 27th, 2007. Ridge, alas, no longer has Santa Cruz Mountains Zin.
Readers who’d like more information about Santa Cruz Mountain wineries can find links to all of them in the Resource Directory of Taste California Travel. Also in that Resource Directory are links to hundreds of lodging and dining opportunities nearby.
Young head-trained vine at
Fernwood.
On the eve of that bacchanalian festival of Zin, the annual ZAP tasting being held this coming Saturday in San Francisco, let’s take a look at who’s making Zinfandel in the Santa Cruz Mountains and what they’re saying about it.
Michael Muccigrosso of Muccigrosso Vineyards lives basically next door to me in the vertically challenging mountains off of Bear Creek Road. There are days when it feels like Zin weather here, with temps well above 100, but there are far more days and nights when it is downright chilly, and sometimes even frosty. Michael and Lynn Muccigrosso planted Zin and Cab here back in the 1980s. Like most newbies to viticulture, they planted what they liked to drink and screw the consequences. Fortunately for Lynn and Michael, they’ve been fairly lucky with the Zin, but the Cab was grafted to Pinot. Their two-acre dry-farmed Zin vineyard yielded about 1.5 tons in 2006. He sources Zin from other areas in Santa Clara and Portola Valley to create a highly acclaimed Zinfandel called Lyn Zin. He says the Santa Cruz Mountains estate fruit is very jammy, with dark flavors and a great mouthfeel. The sold-out 2003 has to be one of my favorite of all Zinfandels: very elegant, filled with nicely ripe but not sweet fruit, great pepperiness and characterized by a poise and finesse that is rare for this varietal.
Matt Oettinger of Fernwood Cellars has been making an estate Zin from his property in the Redwood Retreat area in the southern part of the appellation since 2001. He says, “We've always been happy with it and the 2002 won "Best Red of the Santa Cruz Mountains" at the appellation competition. Our vines are all head-trained and typically result in a wine which lends itself towards black pepper and allspice. Quite tannic and usually need a few years of cellaring time to fully achieve their greatness. We also make an El Dorado Zinfandel from my father’s vineyard in Placerville. It tends to be jammy and fruit forward, with very little spice and not much tannin.”
I asked Matt what the yields were on the estate Zin and what the sugar levels usually were, and if he had sampled any other appellation Zinfandels. “The estate Zin produces about two tons per acre. We typically harvest it around 24.5-25 Brix. I have had Ridge's Zin from the Jimsomere Vineyard, although I think those vines have been torn out. I've had the Pichetti Zin. They both seemed to have that style of pepper, and spice, with not much of that "blackberry-jam" quality that a lot of Zins (from other regions) have.”
Tony Craig, winemaker at Savannah-Chanelle in Saratoga, has the great fortune of being able to work with a classic old-style head trained Zin vineyard originally planted in 1910. When asked what he thought of Zins from the Santa Cruz Mountains appellation, he had this to say: “SCM Zins have that wonderful black pepper spice that you used to see in most Zins in California, but rarely see anymore. This is especially true of the Savannah-Chanelle Zin. Probably because it is on its own rootstock and has never been heat-treated. If I recall correctly, I remember a conversation about this while I was at David Bruce, apparently, most vine cuttings today go through some kind of heat treatment to kill off any viruses prior to planting. This is how most nurseries verify that their cuttings are virus free. This results in lower spicy characteristics in finished wine. Some folks seem to think that it enhances fruitiness. If all of this is true, and it bears some investigation, I would rather see a Zin with all of its inherent aroma/flavour profile. To do something to a vine that diminishes one character and enhances another is ok if you are trying to get rid of a problem, but if it results in a simple fruity wine that is one-dimensional... I'd rather take my chances with a vine source that is naturally clean and not do the heat treatment. Which may be easier said than done today.”
There are not many acres in the mountains planted to Zin, but it appears Savannah-Chanelle may have one of the larger plantings. Tony told me, “I do not know for sure how many acres there are in the mountains, but we have approximately five acres that yields about 1 to 1.5 tons per acre. The vines range from 35 to 100 years old and most are on their way out. Nothing lives forever.”
Greg Nolten and friends.
When asked about the character of the estate Zin, Tony had this to say: “The natural acidity of Zin plus the acidic nature of the soil at Savannah-Chanelle, creates Zins with amazing ageing potential. Also, it creates a winemaking issue in that I have to be careful when to pick; sugar content is only a small part of the story. If I pick when most folks would, i.e. at 24 – 25 brix, the acid would be so high in the wine that it would rip the enamel off your teeth. Consequently, I have to pick it much riper than I would typically pick any other varietal, and this of course creates a rich bold fruity and spicy wine. By chance, this is also the preferred California Zin style that most Zin drinkers seem to want these days.” He ages the Zinfandel in both American and Hungarian oak. The bottle of 2003 I sampled was beyond belief fantastic: everything in perfect balance from start to finish. Simply gorgeous, it’s worth joining the wine club just to get this wine.
Greg Nolten of Zayante Vineyards has been growing and making Zin for over two decades. He has about four acres of Zin planted (Mendocino and Ricetti clones, as well as cuttings from the Pichetti vineyard in Cupertino) and wants to plant more. His yields are about three to three-and-a-half tons per acre, which is decent for this mountainous area. He notes that Zin is fairly easy to grow in that it tends to ripen evenly. He usually harvests the first or second week of October, and he vinifies the clones separately. Greg’s Zin is characterized by earthy aromas of plum and strawberry jam. The Pichetti clone tends to produce intense raspberry flavors and the Mendocino clone provides the intense plum flavors. The wines always have a distinctive core of acidity, accentuated by racy black pepper spice that makes them excellent with food. Greg sells fruit to Ryan Beauregard of Beauregard Cellars, who likes to let the fruit hang longer than Greg would, and it yields a much headier wine. He notes that Ryan’s motto is “I want to give people their money’s worth!” Greg also sold Zin to Storrs in 2005. At 14.6% alcohol, the 2004 Zayante Zin is only $14, which makes it a buck a percent. That’s serious bang for the buck! And it tastes good, too.
Beauregard Cellars’ Ryan Beauregard is an avowed Zinfandel lover. “ I LOVE Zin!” he proclaims. What does he love about Santa Cruz Mountains Zin? “The high acidity and longer hang time makes for really slow berry development and an intensity that could only come from mountain fruit. It’s fantastic!” He makes more different Zins and more of them than anyone else in the appellation. He recently replanted the Beauregard Ranch vineyard in Bonny Doon to the Primitivo clone. He doesn’t know what the clone planted previously by his grandfather was, but he does know it had enormous, heavy clusters weighing about two pounds each. He also knows it ripened really late: usually some time in December. They even picked in January one year! The Primitivo clone produces much smaller clusters, that weigh more like a half-pound each, and ripen much sooner. And he hopes to get more like three tons per acre instead of two. Ryan makes both a Zayante Vineyard dry Zin and a Zin port. He describes the 2004 Zayante Vineyard designate, which retails at $35, as very high in acid, lighter style than his estate, and packing more bright fruit, with tart blackberry and raspberry flavors. “It’s totally awesome fruit!” he enthuses. On the other hand, his estate Zin from the Beauregard Ranch, which was once a huge apple farm, is more lushly fruity. The tasting notes point to aromas of star anise and white pepper, with dried cranberry and raspberry jam on the palate. The pairing suggestion is for summer berries with fresh cream. Somehow, I just can’t see most ZAP attendees going for that one.
Laura Ness is a long-time resident of the Santa Cruz Mountains, and enjoys
writing about wines with character and the characters who make them
Editor’s note: Ridge Vineyards and Storrs will be the only two Santa Cruz Mountains wineries appearing at the ZAP Tasting at Fort Mason in San Francisco on Janaury 27th, 2007. Ridge, alas, no longer has Santa Cruz Mountains Zin.
Readers who’d like more information about Santa Cruz Mountain wineries can find links to all of them in the Resource Directory of Taste California Travel. Also in that Resource Directory are links to hundreds of lodging and dining opportunities nearby.