A much earlier vintage of this wine was a revelation for me back in the day, and looking back it’s easy to see why. Sourced from a completely unique micro-climate that, though it falls within the Central Coast AVA, should probably have its own appellation. Dry farmed as always, the 2016 is made up of fruit from each block of the forty year-old planting and a small amount of the original vine fruit planted by Henry Ditmas in 1880. Each successive vintage is an almanac in a bottle, showing the weather conditions for what they were and avoiding overt intervention. The 2016 shows great concentration and intensity, with rich boysenberry pie aromas leading to a lively palate, where acidity carries the day, translating the nose into palate flavors that have energy and a nice tension against gentle oak spice. A lot of my Euro-centric wine snob friends have a hard time with California Zinfandel — this is the kind of wine that I’m sure would change some minds.
Saucelito Canyon, Arroyo Grande Valley (Central Coast, California) Zinfandel 2016
By Rich Cook