Field Recordings Old Potrero Zinfandel 2015
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Wilfred
Wong
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Blend: 92% Zinfandel, 5% Mourvedre, 3% Syrah.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
Though the sample size has been small, I have enjoyed many Zinfandels from Arroyo Grande. The 2015 Field Recordings Old Potrero Vineyard, stylish and refined, is a cut above the pack. The wine's 14.9% alcohol is balanced nicely with its ripe berry and smoky notes. While some Zins in the higher alcohol arena do not carry their fruit well, this does a fine job in keeping it all together. Pair with grilled pork ribs. (Tasted: April 17, 2017, San Francisco, CA)
Field Recordings is 40-year old winemaker Andrew Jones’ personal catalog of the people and places he values most. Spending his days as a vine nursery fieldman planning and planting vineyards for farmers all over California, Andrew is sometimes offered small lots of their best fruit on the side. Having stood in just about every vineyard on the Central Coast, he has a keen eye for diamonds in the rough: sites that are unknown or under-appreciated but hold enormous untapped potential. As friendships are made and opportunities are embraced, Andrew produces small quantities of soulful wine from these unusual, quiet vineyards.
Wonderwall focuses on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from extreme, coastal locations. Breaking through and breaking rules. Alloy Wine Works is a collection of varietal wines packaged only in tallboy 500 ml cans. The perfect balance of inventive spirit and rural charm. Each can is pure craft wine, not to be "hip" or "relevant", but because we want to. Fiction, the original spin-off label, is a white and red wine produced from multiple vineyards and multiple varieties. Taking what the season gives us and creating a blend made for every occasion. Ready for tonight, tomorrow or this weekend.
Field Recordings is an Oregon Tilth certified organic winery.
Unapologetically bold, spice-driven and jammy, Zinfandel has secured its title as the darling of California vintners by adapting well to the state's diverse microclimates and landscapes. Born in Croatia, it later made its way to southern Italy where it was named Primitivo. Fortunately, the imperial nursery of Vienna catalogued specimens of the vine, and it later made its way to New England in 1829. Parading the true American spirit, Zinfandel found a new home in California during the Gold Rush of 1849. Somm Secret—California's ancient vines of Zinfandel are those that survived the neglect of Prohibition; today these vines produce the most concentrated, ethereal and complex examples.
One of the coolest growing areas in California, the Arroyo Grande Valley runs from the southwest to the northeast, just a few miles from the Pacific Ocean and is part of the Central Coast AVA. Situated so that cold Pacific Ocean air and fog is allowed to filter into the valley, Arroyo Grande also has an incredibly long growing season. Bud break occurs in February in most years with flowering in May and harvest in late September; the area is classified as cool Mediterranean.
These weather factors combined with the soil types—continental and marine rocks, greywacke, limestone, shale and volcanic—create wines with great concentration and fresh acidity. The cooler end of the valley is perfect for Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and is a good producer of sparkling wines. The warmer, more inland part of the valley is home to some of California’s oldest Zinfandel vines.