Maggio Old Vine Zinfandel 2017
Maggio Old Vines Zinfandel is one of the richest red wines I have tried from this superb grape varietal. It has chunky blackcurrant and cracked black pepper spice in the mouth whilst chocolate and jammy tastes are hidden in the background.
The Maggio Family have been growing superb grapes in Lodi for five generations and providing this fruit to many of the premium wine growers of California. It was only as recently as 2002 that they decided to turn their hand to making the final wine with the knowledge gained from making such superb grapes. They have very exacting standards when it comes to winemaking and vineyard management and this is seen in the superb quality of their wines.
Vineyard
The wines are made from 500 acres of estate vineyards throughout the Lodi American Viticultural Area, which are situated between the Sierra Nevada foothills and the San Francisco Bay. The area's Mediterranean climate of warm days and coastal evening breezes, is ideal for the cultivation of world-class wine grapes. The vines, some of which are over 100 years old, are gnarled and sculpted by time, yielding small amounts of intensely flavoured fruit to create wines that are the ultimate expression of their terroir.
Winemaking
The Old Zinfandel grapes were picked at 25 to 26° Brix, for optimum ripeness, acidity levels and quality. The grapes were cool fermented at 18 to 23°C, in order to slowly extract the colour and tannins, whilst retaining the fresh fruit characters. Once fermented through to dryness, the grapes were pressed off their skins and allowed to settle prior to racking. The wine then went through a malolactic fermentation, giving the final wine a smooth mouthfeel and softening the finish. Once complete, a proportion of the wine was matured in various oak treatments for eight months, until it reached the desired profile of oak complexity, while the remainder was stored in stainless steel. 60% of the oak component used was medium to heavy toast American oak and 40% of the oak was Medium toast French oak.
Tasting Note
This traditional Lodi Old Vine Zinfandel is deep and rich, showing ripe black fruit flavours with subtle jam and chocolate overtones, typical of these family grown vineyards. Gentle on the palate with a subtle, smoky finish.
Serving Suggestion
Serve with well-seasoned grilled lamb, peppered steak, home-made beef burgers and grilled sausages.
Grape
Zinfandel 100%
Country
USA. Region: California
Alcohol: 13%.
Body Value: B (A is light, E is full bodied).
Residual Sugar: N/A.
Contains Sulphites: Yes.
Vegetarian/Vegan: Yes/Yes.
Milk/Eggs: No/No.
Organic/Biodynamic No/No.
