The Heritage Vineyard is a collection of cuttings from highly regarded or unusual old Zinfandel vineyards from across California, planted in Napa Valley. They were gathered in an epic tour of Zinfandel vineyards by a team led by Professor James Wolpert of UC Davis in the mid-90s, totalling 90 selections from 12 different regions, all from vineyards planted in the 1930s or earlier. Today the vineyard is financed as an ongoing research project by ZAP. Every year a different ZAP winery member produces a Heritage Zinfandel from the grapes not used for research purposes. The wine tends to be Napa-esque in character but also shows the winery style. The following notes are from the slow but steady consumption of a case of Heritage Zin during 2006-2007.
Zinfandel Napa Valley Oakville Heritage vineyard 1998, Biale – mature ripe Zin, with a slightly raisined tone and some damp clay; mellow, soft, low acid, medium-full, slightly decayed; quite tasty with cheese, better than alone or with figs and prosciutto. Tasted mid 2006 **
Zinfandel Napa Valley Heritage vineyard 1999, Cline Cellars – strong nose of ripe black raspberry, almost loganberry fruit with a touch of oak (American?); full bodied with plump slightly alcoholic fruit, becomes grainier and denser towards finish, where some woody tannins start to clamp down. Substantial wine, but a little ponderous. Tasted early 2006 ***(*?).
Zinfandel Napa Valley Oakville Heritage Vineyard 1999, Cline – heady alcoholic fumes phase in and out of a deep Zin berry nose; pure Zin berry jam flavor with hints of spice and oak; medium-full, medium density, fairly long with grapey tannins and a bit of cassis. Tasted early 2007 ***+
Zinfandel Napa Valley Oakville Heritage 2000, Joseph Swan – strong woody American oak and ripe Zin at first, the oak mellows while Zin fruit keeps coming on, ripe and long with mild spice but never forgetting its berry roots. Tasted mid 2006. ****
Zinfandel Napa Valley Oakville Heritage 2000, Joseph Swan (Rod Berglund) – a blast of pure ripe Zin fruit, boysenberry with a dark plum tone and a note of oak; medium-full body, deep fruit with some moderate plumskin tannins and a long finish; 6 months has mellowed the oak and the wine is in a fine place right now. Has matured nicely since last tasting. Tasted late 2006. ****
Zinfandel Napa Valley Oakville Heritage Vineyard 2001, Ravenswood – somewhat closed in (for Zin) initially, aromas of deep Zin jam with complex oak and a bit of lead pencil emerge; medium-full body, fairly dense with medium strength dry Cabbish tannins, quite long. A structured Zin. Tasted mid 2006. ***(*)
Zinfandel Napa Valley Heritage vineyard 2001, Ravenswood – deep plummy-berry fruit, more winey than jammy; dusty wood around a rich fruit core, full-bodied, dry tannins with a bit of Rutherford dust in the medium-long finish; quite substantial and somewhat old-fashioned big Zin. Became more Zinnish since the last tasting. Tasted early 2007 ***(*?)
Zinfandel Napa Valley Oakville Heritage Vineyard 2002, Turley (Ehren Jordan) – pure Zin jam nose with mildly fumey spirits; ripe, round, mouthcoating and smooth, slightly peppery finish. Nice drinking in a porty way by itself, comes across as slightly sweet and clumsy with pizza and rosemary chicken. Tasted early 2006 ***
Zinfandel Napa Valley Heritage vineyard 2003, Ridge – dark; deep blackberry and framboise fruit, topped off with toasty oak and a touch of coffee grounds; porty and bordering on overripe but not cloying, full-bodied, medium strength dry firm tannins on finish. Not one to lay down, but probably very tasty with grilled garlicky meats or eggplant parmigiana right now. Tasted mid 2007. ***+