About This Product :
The Grape: (2021 vintage) 86% Old Vine Zinfandel, 9% Petite Sirah, 5% old vine Carignane *** Sustainably Farmed and Organically Grown. Old Vine Mendocino Zinfandel is a treasure. Grown on the benchlands and slopes of mountainsides — this 65+ year old vine Zinfandel was named for these wild- looking vines and also for the uninoculated, or “wild,” yeast ferment that was used to create it. It takes a lot of effort to tame this wild fruit, but it is worth all the trouble. Wild Thing is dangerously good! Remember – you are what you drink ….
The Appellation: 76% Mendocino County, 20% Sonoma County, 4% Contra Costa Co, California, USA.
The Wine: Aromas of black cherry, ripe plum and raspberry fruit combine with a hint of cigar box, and vanilla-oak baking spice loveliness. Smoothly textured in mouth, and the palate is very creamy and round, with a finish that is long with lush jammy fruit.
As usual, our Wild Thing Zinfandel went through fermentation uninoculated, relying on a healthy WILD yeast population from the organic vineyard to create a terroir-driven complexity of aroma and flavors. Our wild fermentation started after a 3-5 day cold soak and was followed by a 30-day maceration. The must was déléstaged (pronounced ‘del-ess-TAHJd) two times prior to the wine reaching 12°Brix. That is the fancy, French term for a rack and return—a process that aerates the wine, helps to maintain a healthy yeast population, and builds mouthfeel volume with gentle extraction from the skins.
- Average Brix at Harvest: 24.8°Brix (average)
Alcohol: 14.3%
Total Acidity: 0.65
pH: 3.62
Cases Produced: 7,614 cases (750ml)
Bottling Date: January 23-24, 2023
The Winery: Based out of an industrial park in the city of Santa Rosa, Carol Shelton started at UC Davis in 1974, and is still making excellent wines with passion ’til this day. Carol has won Winemaker of the Year five times, has countless gold medals for her wines and was named one of eight Pioneer Women Winemakers of Sonoma County in 2005. She continues to win awards and accolades – her 2011 Wild Thing Zinfandel was included in the Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines of 2014.
With many harvests under her belt and her passion for winemaking still strong, Carol Shelton has become an iconic woman winemaker. For Carol, the best is yet to come.
