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What We Say 2006 Truchard Vineyard Old Vines Zinfandel
QPR ALERT:
Today’s wine represents an extraordinary value, earning it this special QPR (Quality to Price Ratio) Alert.
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Mission Codename: The Strato-Zin
Operative: Agent Red
Objective: Send Agent Red to Z-52 Wines, where prolific winemaker, Philip Zorn, is reported to have crafted an extraordinary Old Vine Zinfandel from Truchard Vineyards, a long-standing Operative favorite. If the wine proves to be incredible, procure an ample allotment for our Zin-loving Operatives
Mission Status: Accomplished!
Current Winery: Z-52 Winery
Wine Subject: 2006 Old Vines Zinfandel Truchard Vineyard, Napa Valley
Winemaker: Philip Zorn
Backgrounder: Zinfandel is related to the Italian Primitivo grape, tracing its origin to the Croatian grape Crljenak Kastelanski. Zinfandel is one of the most versatile varietals with the ability to make wines, both rich to fruity, dark to light, and dry to sweet. Napa Valley Zinfandels, specifically old vine Zin, are characterized by their big, extracted flavors, are among the most popular with our Operatives.
Wine Spies Tasting Profile:
Look – Deep ruby hues, with perfect clarity through its dark cherry juice core. At the edges of the wine, a ring of soft pink rings the glass. When swirled, the wine leaves some of the thinnest legs we have seen on a Napa Zin.
Smell – Exotic and complex, with bold candied cherry that leaps from the glass. This is followed, closely, by bramble, red flowers, blackberry, cranberry, spiced castile, cedar, black pepper and fresh herbs.
Feel – Fast, cool and light across the tip of the tongue. At the mid, the wine does settle in, revealing a soft medium body that adds weight and complexity. After a moment, a plush mineral dryness spreads slowly from mid-tongue outward – gradually drying the lips and tongue.
Taste – Juicy spiced cherry and brambly blackberry mix with young strawberry, currant, soft cedar, blueberry, black licorice, exotic spice and black pepper.
Finish – Long and juicy, with lasting red fruit, bramble and spice that slowly yield to spice, soft oak, black pepper and soft minerals as the palate drys.
Conclusion – The 2006 Z-52 Old Vines Zinfandel Truchard Vineyard is a beautiful and delicious wine, from one of California’s grand masters of Zinfandel, Philip Zorn. With an approachable character and delicious flavors, this wine is more finesse than raw power, which was a welcome treat to our tasting panel, which had been bombarded with overpowering Zins, of late. This wine is bright, juicy, jammy, delicious and wonderfully aromatic. The wine has an even acidity, making it a fantastic paring partner for a springtime BBQ or a hearty pasta dish. We love this wine, and we are sure that you will, too!
Mission Report:
With budbreak occurring throughout the Napa Valley, we were unable to secure an interview with the busy Philip Zorn. Please be sure to subscribe to our Daily Dispatch, to stay informed on our next Z-52 sale!
Wine Spies Vineyard Check:
The location of the Truchard winery, can be seen in this satellite photo.
What the Winery Says
Z-52 Cellars
Awards & Accolades:
90 Points, Editor’s Choice – Wine Enthusiast Magazine – “Shows all the Zinny character you could want, with masses of wild forest berries, sweet red currants, licorice, bacon, smoky sandalwood and peppery spices. The pedigree comes in the dryness and the fine balance of tannins, acids and oak. A first-rate, upscale Zin.” – S.H., February 2010
About This Wine:
The steep hillside and volcanic soil of Napa Valley’s Truchard Vineyard yield a bold Zinfandel with great structure and finesse. Aromas of ripe currant, blackberry and cedar lead to jammy flavors of black cherry and cranberry with a hint of black pepper.
Truchard Vineyard, Napa Valley – Napa Valley’s Truchard Vineyard is the source for the Z-52 Truchard Vineyard Old Vine Zinfandel. The terroir of the vineyard, a combination of hills and valleys, volcanic soils and marin-influenced temperatures, provide unique growing conditions that yield a bold zinfandel with great structure and finesse, with jammy flavors of black cherry and cranberry with a hint of black pepper.
About The Winery:
Three vineyards, four Zinfandels and one shared passion for the pursuit of small lot, single-vineyard wines are the driving force behind one of California’s newest wineries, Z-52 . Seasoned winemaker Philip Zorn and veteran wine executive Brent Shortridge wear all the hats at Z-52, and their dedication to distinctive Zinfandels is evident at every turn.
The heart and soul of this boutique winery, named for the shared “Z” in both Zinfandel and Zorn, (the 52 references the 52 weeks in a vintage year, 52 rows in Agnes’ Vineyard, and 52 cards in a full deck) is its commitment to producing high-end Zinfandels from some of the oldest vineyards in the Lodi and Amador County regions. Z-52 ‘s minimalist approach to winemaking embraces the notion that terroir and its influence on grape character is essential to producing outstanding Zinfandel.
Winemaker Philip Zorn’s Old World training and New World experience ideally complement the production of Zinfandel. The American-born Zorn was raised in Germany and attended the nation’s top school of enology before working for noted producer Weingut Pieroth. Upon returning to the U.S. in the mid-eighties, he distinguished himself as winemaker for a number of California wineries, including Sunny St. Helena, Gauer Estate, Paraiso Springs and Tria. Through this process Zorn developed a keen understanding of winemaking in California, as well as a love of California’s premier wine, Zinfandel. It was this love that would eventually lead him to conceive Z-52 with fellow Zinfandel aficionado Brent Shortridge. Shortridge began his career in wine working with legendary winemaker Andre Tchelistcheff at Buena Vista. He left the winery lab to get into marketing and eventually became vice president of marketing for Buena Vista. He is active in a number of industry associations, including the Zinfandel Advocates and Producers (ZAP). Z-52’s first wines, the 2001 Agnes’ Vineyard Zinfandel and the 2000 Clockspring Vineyard Zinfandel, made their debut at ZAP in 2004.
Technical Analysis:
Zinfandel: 100%
Alcohol: 14.8%
TA: .60
pH: 3.60
Oak Cooperage: 15 months in French Oak
Cases Produced: 286
