Winemaker Notes
Live Oak Zinfandel is named for Live Oak Road in Oakley, California. The vineyards run adjacent to this road and consistently produce some of Cline's most complex, concentrated, and unique lots of Zinfandel. Cline Cellars has chosen to dry-farm the ancient, head-pruned vines. A practice employed by the Italian and Portuguese immigrants that planted this vineyard well before the turn of the century. The Oakley terroir is characterized by the hot sun, sandy soil, and a unique band of air that flows from the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers. The terroir also contributes to these areas' resistance to phylloxera. Ultimately, this produces a stunning and concentrated Zinfandel.
Blend: 100% Zinfandel
Professional Ratings
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Tasting Panel
From ancient, head-pruned vines, this single-vineyard Zin shows modern, elegant style. Aromas and flavors of blue flowers, ripe cranberry, pomegranate, and rhubarb lead the way. Milk-chocolate sleekness and a finish of licorice and toasted oak reflect ten months of aging in (40% new) French oak.
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.
A large Northern California appellation centered on the San Francisco Bay Area, the San Francisco Bay AVA falls within the larger Central Coast AVA. The smaller appellations of Livermore Valley, Pacheco Pass, San Ysidro District and Santa Clara Valley AVAs fall within the San Francisco Bay boundaries, and all produce high-quality Central Coast wines.