PICK AND SHOVEL ZINFANDEL
Saracina
APPELLATION
Mendocino County
GRAPE VARIETIES
100% Zinfandel
WINEMAKERS
Alex MacGregor
TECHNICAL DATA
Acidity
3.62
Alcohol
14.9%
Saracina is located along the Upper Russian River in northern California’s wine country. The 400-acre ranch which includes a winery and sustainably farmed vineyards, is also home to a 140-year-old olive trees, vegetable gardens, beehives, and local birds and wildlife. The handcrafted, limited production Saracina wines reflect a conscious sense of this beautiful place in Mendocino County. Founded by husband and wife team John Fetzer and Patty Rock in 2001, Saracina has always been defined by a strong sense of family. In 2018, Marc Taub took on stewardship of Saracina, upholding the spirit of family ownership that has defined this iconic Mendocino County winery since inception.
TERROIR & VINTAGE NOTESTwo vineyards make up the blend in the 2019 Pick and Shovel. Sawyer Vineyard is planted with a venerable Dry Creek clone on St. George rootstock, head-pruned and minimally irrigated. It sits on a high bench looking down at Lake Mendocino. The soil is deep benchland red loam.
The second vineyard is a steep estate Zinfandel block in Hopland, planted to the DuPratt clone, also on St. George rootstock. Here, the soil is rockier, sedimentary shale, mineral-laden.
The harvest of 2019 was a winemaker’s dream, with adequate rains and a long even growing season.
The vineyards were picked on September 21th and 27th, respectively. The grapes were harvested by hand, de-stemmed and gently crushed into a closed top tank. Native yeast fermentation began seven days later. At dryness, free-run juice was drained directly into Taransaud barrels, 25% of which were new. Native malolactic fermentation was complete by March. The wine was racked just three weeks prior to bottling and then bottled unfiltered on July 21, 2021.
TASTING NOTESHighly concentrated, the 2019 Zinfandel is deep on black raspberry and black plum fruit with sweet soil, spice and mineral notes. The palate is balanced and supple with a layered richness and enough tannin to ensure even more sophistication in years to come. Perfect with barbeque.
RESOURCES
Saracina Portfolio
