On a random Monday in May, my sometimes-neighbors invited me over for a glass of wine. They let me choose which wine to open and I chose the Zinfandel with the highest alcohol content. Yes, that was my decision criteria! I am a Zinfandel girl, but I don’t get much of that in Monterey County. It was the perfect selection for a sunny patio wine tasting.
About Zenaida Cellars: “The home vineyard is located in the Templeton Gap area, west of Paso Robles, at the base of the Santa Lucia Coastal Range. The 30-acre property consists of 22 acres of vineyard that is farmed utilizing sustainable practices. The winery occupies the original homestead of the property, dating back over 100 years.
“Many of our vines were planted in the late 1980’s, with our first vintage appearing in 1998. In May of 2000, we officially opened the Zenaida Cellars Tasting Room. Our wines are made using only the highest quality fruit from our estate vineyard and our small group of Paso Robles AVA growers. The vines are meticulously preened and thinned to ensure even ripeness throughout…”
I have just one wine to present to you today. Winery notes come from Wine Folly’s Paso Guides, as linked below. Any errors are mine and mine alone.
2019 Zenaida Cellars Zinfandel, Templeton Gap District, Paso Robles, 15.8% ABV, $45 (#992)
Growing Conditions:
“In keeping with Zenaida minimalist style, our micro produced, Estate grown Zinfandel, is made from our estate vineyard located in the Templeton Gap District. We utilize sustainable agriculture practices to produce wines that are predominantly fruit forward and express our unique west side terroir. In mid-summer the vines are “green thinned”. Green clusters are cut from the vine, leaving one cluster per shoot to promote even ripening and also to concentrate flavors in remaining cluster.”
Winemaking:
“At harvest, the fruit is hand sorted and de-stemmed directly into open top fermenters. After a 48 hour cold soak the fruit macerates slowly and evenly with twice daily manual punch downs and specifically timed de le stage over approximately 30 days. The wine is then aged for 15 months in select French oak barrels. Our Zinfandel is pushed to just this side of too far to reach its full potential. By avoiding the dried-out flavors of over-ripeness, we concentrate on the fresher fruit aspects that Zinfandel has to offer. The result is a wine deeply layered with dark fruits and wild berries.”
Wine Enthusiast – 91 pts: “Stewed red-plum and fig aromas meet with minty liqueur, sarsaparilla and chaparral herbs on the nose of this bottling. The palate is loaded with flavors reminiscent of a hike through the regional hills, offering dried sage, dust and hot rocks, with a bit of dried cranberry as well.” — Matt Kettmann
My Review: Purple in the glass. Rich plum on the nose. Dense palate of dark berries. A voluptuous wine. Reminds me why I truly like Zinfandel. May 2023
The Zenaida Tasting Room is located at 1550 Highway 46 West, Paso Robles, CA 93465. “Our tasting room is open daily from 11:00 am – 5:00 pm. Walk ins are always welcome! Reservations to taste can be made on the website using the RESERVATIONS tab at the top of the page. Tastings cost $25 per flight and are waived with a two-bottle purchase. If your group is larger than 6 guests, please call the winery to check on availability: 805-227-0382. For parties of 8 or more, there is a non-refundable $10 service fee per person.“
© Decanting Monterey 2023
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