Zinfandel Pacini Vineyard 2008

Vineyards

The Pacini Family planted this vineyard in 1940 on the western foothills of the Mayacamas Mountains in Mendocino County.  This beautiful old vineyard is head-pruned as are most Zinfandel vineyards of the era.  Steele Wines purchased the vineyard in 1996 from the Pacini Family.  Since then we have been refurbishing the vineyard and replacing vines in the positions where the old vines have died back.  The location of the vineyard prevents us from irrigating or frost protecting due to the limited water supply.  This provides for the intense flavors and aromas in this low yielding Zinfandel. 

Winemaking

After 25 years of crafting Zinfandel from the Pacini Vineyard, Jed has determined that the best method of harvesting the grapes is over a two-week period based on exposure.  Due to the rolling topography of the vineyard and the many different facing slopes, we pick the grapes in several lots, as they become ripe.  These lots are kept separate through the fermentation and barrel aging processes; they are only blended again just prior to bottling.  This allows us to declassify portions of one or more of the lots to the Shooting Star Mendocino Zinfandel if necessary in order to maintain the integrity of this old vine Zin.  As is our house style, we keep the temperatures on our fermentations moderate to develop the color and flavors inherent in the wine.  We aged the Steele Pacini Vineyard Zinfandel in American oak barrels for 12 months, using 25% new barrels and 75% neutral barrels.  This selection of oak allows us to maximize the fruit component while rounding out the structure of the wine. 

Tasting Notes

This wine is known for its spicy, brambly and mildly tarry character.  This vintage is no exception. The nose has the previously mentioned characteristics in addition to a bacon (or pancetta) and a white pepper element.  The palate is full of berries, spice and a hint of cola, with a dusty chocolaty finish. The wine has great structure, is well balanced, and has a nice finish.

Food Pairing

We enjoy this wine with roasted meats (particularly if accompanied by a rich red fruit reduction), BBQ of any kind, rib steak fresh from the broiler, and a variety of cheeses.