Winemaker Notes
This year marks nine vintages of working with the Perlegos Family. The 2022 vintage from the Stampede Vineyard is one that speaks to the 'True North Star' of the Maître de Chai wines. They have always set out to craft a Zinfandel that has structured tannins, bright acidity and that speaks to the soil in which the vines are rooted and the 2022 vintage checks all of these boxes.
Harvested on August 28th, fermented with native yeasts in a mix of whole cluster andde-stemmed open top fermentations. Aged exclusively in 500L puncheons for 14 months before being bottled with no fining or filtration. Strawberry, plum and raspberry with a touch of cola and licorice round out a bright finish with subtle texture but sturdy tannins. The finesse of this wine makes it drinkable now, but will age for years to come.
Professional Ratings
-
Vinous
The 2022 Zinfandel Stampede Vineyard is fabulous. It is sourced from a site in Lodi planted in the 1920s. Pliant and supple, with gorgeous balance, the 2022 impresses right out of the gate. The combination of vibrant fruit and light to medium-bodied structure makes for an absolutely compelling Zinfandel. There is a purity to this wine that is so striking. The body and textural feel reminds me of wines from the 1950s and 1960s that I have tasted, naturally as mature wines.
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.
Positioned between the San Francisco Bay and the Sierra Nevada mountain range, the Lodi appellation, while relatively far inland, is able to maintain a classic Mediterranean climate featuring warm, sunny days and cool evenings. This is because the appellation is uniquely situated at the end of the Sacramento River Delta, which brings chilly, afternoon “delta breezes” to the area during the growing season.
Lodi is a premier source of 100+ year old ancient Zinfandel vineyards—some dating back as far as 1888! With low yields of small berries, these heritage vines produce complex and bold wines, concentrated in rich and voluptuous, dark fruit.
But Lodi doesn’t just produce Zinfandel; in fact, the appellation produces high quality wines from over 100 different grape varieties. Among them are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay and Sauvignon blanc as well as some of California's more rare and unique grapes. Lodi is recognized as an ideal spot for growing Spanish varieties like Albarino and Tempranillo, Portugese varieties—namely Touriga Nacional—as well as many German, Italian and French varieties.
Soil types vary widely among Lodi’s seven sub-appellations (Cosumnes River, Alta Mesa, Deer Creek Hills, Borden Ranch, Jahant, Clements Hills and Mokelumne River). The eastern hills are clay-based and rocky and in the west, along the Mokelumne and Cosumnes Rivers, sandy and mineral-heavy soils support the majority of Lodi’s century-old own-rooted Zinfandel vineyards. Unique to Lodi are pink Rocklin-Jahant loam soils, mainly found in the Jahant sub-appellation.