• 2010 Zinfandel
    Old Vine Cuvée
    Mendocino
    • (750 ml) Sold Out!
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Proof is in the swallow Recent Press

Navarro's staff tastes most weekday mornings and everyone makes comments like “plum,” “raspberry,” “blackberry,” “smoky” or, perhaps after a few too many sips, “raspberry, blackberry and plum coulis flavors, laced with hints of cola and warm tar.” Anyway, we actually print a few of these comments and some are even in this newsletter. Since occasional customers will ask if we actually put those fruits or compounds in our wine (the answer is no), here's a more technical, or perhaps more sober, description of what to expect. Old Vine Zin is Navarro's richest and biggest red wine; it saturates your mouth with a profusion of succulent fruity flavors. Zinfandel harvested as ripe as these, results in a wine with plenty of alcohol, so there is a satisfying sensation of weight on your palate.

Twenty percent of this vintage is from Al Tollini's "old block"; [above] this vineyard was planted in 1932.
This wine has a richness that can only be achieved using grapes from very old vines;
[left] eighty percent of this bottling is from Ed Berry's vines which were planted in 1948.


Inland Mendocino's viticultural climate, with hot days and cold nights, blesses the grapes with high natural acidity; not only does this help keep the wine fresh, the acidity keeps the finish clean so you keep on coming back for more. We deliberately kept the tannins soft by punching down the fermenting grapes by hand, rather than using a pump which can mash the skins and seeds, so the wine is supple. Finally, we aged the wine predominately in seasoned oak barrels so as not to overpower the grapes' flavors with aggressive oak. Not surprisingly, words are inadequate to explain flavors, aromas and tastes. We urge you to swirl, sniff and sip; the proof is in the swallow. Gold Medal winner.

Specifications
  • Harvested: Oct. 14 to 18, 2010
  • Sugars at harvest: 26.8° Brix
  • Bottled: Aug. 25, 2011
  • Cases produced: 300
  • Alcohol: 15.2%
  • Titratable acidity: 6.7 g/L
  • pH: 3.78