WINES

2009 Zinfandel Les E'nfant Terrible, McFadden Farm One of the most unusual wines from California—and with one of the most unusual names—this is a zinfandel that doesn’t fit the classic image of a California wine. It’s a wine that is complex, balanced, and flavorful, and yet has a color and alcohol-level that is more typical of a wine from a cooler region in Europe. From start to finish, it is unusual in character: lower in alcohol, unfined and unfiltered, low in SO2, fermented using native yeasts found on the grapes, organically grown. It’s a wine made in a style that we love—totally drinkable, yet with a complexity that grows stronger over time. With patience, it evolves into a thrilling wine.

Info & Tasting Notes:	2009
Press:	2009
Purchase:	2009

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2009 McFadden Farm “Les Enfants Terribles” 100% Zinfandel

 

History
It really tastes more like richer version of one of the wines made in the Beaujolais region of France than wine made in California.  It shows earthiness and minerality, blended with the warm, sweet red fruit character of a great California vineyard.  Although light in approach, the wine also has a velvety thickness on the midpalette that is extremely attractive.

The vineyard is in a cooler wine region—the mountains of Potter Valley, with its warm days and quite cool nights. It was the first wine in our series of wines we call “Les Enfants Terribles”—the rebel children—to highlight its unorthodox flavor profile.


Production
This is a wine that by design is totally natural from start to finish. The grapes started as organically grown, by the great grape-grower Guinness McFadden, and had almost no additions to the vineyard except for elemental sulfur.  It was fermented using native yeasts found naturally growing on the grapes, in a stainless steel tank. It is unfiltered and unfined, to keep the fruit as pure and distinctive as possible, reflecting the character of the vineyard.

Fortunately the vintage of 2009 produced typical yields, so we were able to make almost 500 cases of the McFadden zinfandel. A classic vintage, the 2009 harvest came in earlier than normal—in Septmeber rather than October—but the quality was excellent. We were able to age the wine in our 900 gallon cask reserved for this wine. This large cask keeps the yeast in contact for longer periods, creating a complex wine without excessive oak character. In it’s youth, we suggest decanting it or at least letting it breath for at least a half an hour, to let the subtle fruit character come to the forefront.


Production Notes
Varietals:        100% Zinfandel  (even though it tastes like Gamay!)

Appellation:    Potter Valley, Mendocino County

Alcohol:         14.2% by vol.

Time in oak:   5 months, in a 900 gallon French oak cask

Production:    490 cases, 750mL

Release date:  June 1, 2010

Sugg. retail price: $24.00 bottle, 750mL


Tasting Notes
Color :           Ruby red

Aroma:          Initially earthy, toasty, mineral or stone-like aromas, with aeration aromas of strawberry and black cherry appear along with spicy white pepper notes.

Taste:            Entry is of beautiful strawberry/black cherry/cassis fruit.  Spicy, complex, full of mineral and earthy notes. Slightly thicker than the 2008 vintage, and with a more voluptuous midpalette. Finish of black cherry, granite, and spice. Clean, lingering fresh fruit finish.