The Margarita Vineyard has become renowned for producing one of Paso Robles’ most acclaimed Zinfandels. Here, amid one of the region’s coolest growing environments, the Zinfandel grape achieves a rare balance of robust flavors and elegant structure. Zinfandel has been a cornerstone variety of Paso Robles for more than 100 years.
TASTING NOTES
The 2017 Zinfandel presents bright boysenberry aromas with hints of sandalwood and vanilla. A juicy, jammy texture is loaded with generous flavors of wild raspberry, black cherry, plum, mocha and cedar. Spicy black pepper notes join mouthwatering acidity on a beautifully balanced finish.
VINEYARD NOTES
The 2017 Zinfandel comes from three separate blocks, with each contributing to a larger sense of character and complexity in the finished wine. Block 49D sets the tone with jammy dark fruit flavors derived from hilltop exposures, while the lower Block 49A contributes a dimension of red fruit and spice. Block 48 splits the difference between red and black fruits with its own spicy nuances. Margarita Vineyard stands alone as the southernmost vineyard in the Paso Robles region, nestled into the rugged Santa Lucia Mountain range just 14 miles from the Pacific Ocean in the new Santa Margarita Ranch AVA. The mountain peaks act as a gateway for cool marine air, resulting in an extended growing season that yields fruit with uncommon depth and structure. The peaks are also testaments to the tectonic forces that created Margarita Vineyard’s rare diversity of soils, ultimately fostering natural complexity in our wines.
PRODUCTION NOTES
At Margarita Vineyard, the Zinfandel grape produces a wine that exhibits evenness with a pure varietal character. After a wet winter that ended the recent drought cycle, a normal crop load and steady harvest weather paved the way for beautifully balanced fruit. Prior to fermentation, the lots were cold soaked for 48 hours for a soft extraction of flavor and color. After fermentation and light pressing, the individual lots were racked to a combination of French (44%), American (53%) and Hungarian (3%) oak barrels (comprised of 25% new oak), where they aged for 18 months prior to blending and bottling. Small lots of Petit Verdot (5%) and Petite Sirah (5%) were incorporated into the final blend for added color, depth and structure.
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