The fruit from this region is well-developed with intense characteristics adding dark fruit character to The Prisoner Wine Co. The combinations of wind-blown beach sandy soils with gravel allow for good drainage and have contributed much to the long-life of these vines. In another antique vineyard, the Pato vines, planted in the 1870s are owned by the Christian brothers and are among some of the oldest living vines in all of California. With cooler climate Zinfandel in their portfolio, their blends are able to take on another level and brighter notes, giving the traditionally known ‘jammy’ Zinfandel another reputation. The vineyard climate is cooler here sitting in volcanic soils. In Dry Creek, sitting at one-thousand feet above sea level, these old vines of the Grist and Taylor vineyards are something you must see with robust, thick and gnarly trunks. Here they grow in ancient volcanic and red soils adding structure, depth and earthy aromatics to the fruit. The Old World style allows for the fruit to hang freely without any compromise from wires and ridged-trained branches. If you have ever driven the many highways of California wine-country and seen the vines that stand alone without any trellises training their vines, these are the vines we speak of. Of the Sierra Foothills the Aparacio Zinfandel vines are grown in the ‘gobelet’ style. The location here has extremely warm and long growing seasons, perfect for the ideal maturation of Zinfandel. The hand-picked vineyards used for many of their wines are from Aparicio, Teldeschi, Dorn, Grist, Pato, Mattern and Taylor.įrom the Mattern site, located in Talmage Beach of Mendocino, these are older plantings originating from the 30s and 40s that are biodynamically farmed. They have built relationships with growers from many areas including Lake Amador, Napa, Contra Costa, Sonoma and Mendocino. only source from the finest vineyards where Zinfandel grows best. The winemaking team of The Prisoner Wine Co. Sometimes the advantage of not owning one’s own vineyards is the ability to go out source and do the research yourself as to who and where the best fruit is grown. It began with our featured wine label today, Saldo and later expanded with Jen into their other premium blends of Thorn, Blindfold and Cuttings. ![]() The winery changed hands in 2009 and Jen Beloz took over as the winemaker and offered over a decade of winemaking experience with her time at Ravenswood, where their signature wine is Zinfandel. was established in 2009 and took on sort of an instant cult following, known for their artistic labels, and well, good wine. If you have perused the California wine section at your local wine merchant you might recognize the name. ![]() Let me give you a hint for at least one great Zin to look for, The Prisoner Wine Company - 2013 Saldo Zinfandel. It can take on many layers and characteristics and be just a sophisticated as any of the other great California reds, you just have to know what to look for. Today, Zinfandel does not just take on the style of a rustic, country wine. In its beginnings following the Depression and later Prohibition, this fruit was easy to plant, easily adapted to the long and hot growing seasons of Northern California and made wines that pleased not only the masses, but even the most seasoned wine drinkers.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |