Zinfandel and Carignan Research

[Jerry D Mead]

Zinfandel, like most other grapes, yields different flavors and styles in different "terroirs."

In the Dry Creek or Russian River area of Sonoma...and in some areas of Napa, Zinfandel will show classic raspberry qualities and something that gets called "brambly" that you sort of have to experience to recognize..it's a sort of wild and earthy aspect of the berriness. Hints of black pepper in the background are fairly common (and very attractive) as well.

In warmer climates like Amador and Paso Robles, you start to get into plums which can easily edge towards prunes...at the worst comes raisins...and all of the above are fairly common from very hot interior valleys, especially from Fresno south to Bakersfield.

Zin can also tend naturally toward very high, almost fortified, levels of alcohol. 16+% is not uncommon with no high-proof added.

A well made berry-fruited Zin when fully developed can be nearly impossible to distinguish from well-aged Cabernet. It's been about 20 years since I had one, but a large cache of 1935 Simi Zin was discovered and not only was it alive and well at age 40-plus, it was indistinguisable from old claret.

Zin likes to be dry-farmed, head-pruned and old-vined. It tends to ripen unevenly. It is very common to see perfectly ripened fruit, green berries and raisins...all on the same bunch.

JDM