Wilson Winery – 2007 Ellie’s Vineyard Old Vine Zinfandel
December 23, 2009
The Facts:
The Wilson Winery 2007 Ellie’s Vineyard Old Vine Zinfandel is made using fruit from vines planted in 1969. In addition to Zinfandel (96%), Petite Sirah (4%) is blended in as well. Barrel aging occurred in a combination of French and American oak over a period of 18 months. 570 cases of this release were produced and the suggested retail price is $32.
Gabe’s Take:
One could use the word dizzying to describe the array of Zinfandels available in Dry Creek Valley. Wilson Winery is a microcosm of that with around a dozen different designate Zins in their arsenal. Thankfully in both cases there’s lots of diversity to be had. I didn’t specifically recall the Ellie’s Vineyard Old Vine Zinfandel from my last visit and so I was particularly curious to try it.
Dark fruit aromas, particularly blackberry and black raspberry fill the nose of this Zinfandel. Wisps of vanilla and cedar underscore these. Both black and red cherry dominate the lush, full flavored palate, along with hints of black olive. Both black and white pepper notes, mineral characteristics, hints of burnt brown sugar and a nice wallop of earth mark the lengthy, layered finish. Firm tannins and excellent acidity are both hallmarks of this offering.
What stands out in particular about this specific Zinfandel is how classically structured it is. While it certainly has some hints of jam in both the nose and palate this offering is a bit more restrained than the other Wilson Winery Zins I’ve recently written about. The others will certainly also evolve and drink well for a period of time, however the Ellie’s Vineyard is perhaps the best suited of the bunch to long term aging. This is a terrific wine and another reason that Wilson Winery is one of the places you’ll need to stop if you want to taste a wine range of Zinfandel.
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