About this WINE
Kenwood Vineyards
Kenwood Winery was established in 1970 in Sonoma County, California,when a group of wine enthusiasts from the San Francisco Bay area restored the old Pagani Brothers Winery which had been originally built in 1906. The winery has its own 22-hectare estate but also sources grapes from elsewhere for its blends.
The grapes for this Zinfandel are drawn from Sonoma, Alexander Valley and Dry Creek, all excellent quality areas. After fermentation in stainless steel tanks the wine is aged for up to 19 months in a combination of French and American oak. Zinfandel is now regarded as one of California’s indigenous grape varietals, even if it may trace its origins back to Italy where it has a remarkable resemblance to the Primitivo.
Zinfandel
Zinfandel is California`s most distinctive red grape and is one of the few that is considered one of their "own", even though it originated in Europe.
Although it has been grown in California for well over a century, it took the popularity of white ("blush") Zinfandel in the mid 1980s to persuade growers to retain their Zinfandel vines and indeed to plant more. Within 10 years, plantings had doubled and Red Zinfandel had become a Californian icon.
It is grown all across California though seems to perform best in meso-climates, which combine hot days and cool nights. It has a worrying tendency to ripen unevenly, leaving the producer with a sort of viticultural catch-22 - if he harvests too soon then he has green, unripe grapes, too late and he has dried out raisiny grapes.
After vinification, Zinfandel wines are often matured in American oak, which gives them a vanilla dimension. There is no single flavour character that can be associated with the grape - it can produce light, jammy, almost Beaujolais-type wines, redolent of freshly crushed berries, through to full-bodied, robust, oak aged wines brimming with ripe, peppery, cassis-like fruits. The best can age marvellously.
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Description
Zinfandel is Kenwood's speciality and it really shows in this wine. Damsons, prunes and raisins draw you in on the nose while the palate is immediately expressive, with juicy, sweet, spicy black blackberries and black cherries, alongside notes clove and cinnamon. Where this wine excels, however, is that it manages to remain fresh, and not at all cloying, on the finish. With subtle, supple tannins and good length, this is an excellent example of a well-balanced Zinfandel.
Catriona Felstead MW, New World Buyer
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