Dancing Crow Vineyards · Dancing Crow Vineyards Old Stake 1901 Vineyard - 2018 Field Blend This...

Dancing Crow Vineyards Old Stake 1901 Vineyard - 2018 Field Blend

This wine consists entirely of fruit from our newly acquired “Old Stake 1901 Vineyard” in Lake County’sKelseyBenchAVA.ItisafieldblendofseveraluniqueOldWorldvarieties,withsomeofthevinesplanted118yearsagoandstillproducingfruit.ThevineyardisregisteredwiththeHistoricalVineyardSociety.

TheGrowingSeasonWeharvestedtheOldStake1901VineyardonOctober10th,afullthreeweekslaterthannormal.SpringbroughtanunusuallyplentifulsetasaresultoftimelyMayrainfollowedbyasunnyfinishtothemonth.Junecontinuedthewarmingtrendand Julyprovided theheat that temperedberry size. By lateSeptember,theregion’swarm,summergavewaytomild, fall, coastal temperatures,whichallowed for longer hang time. This “coastal effect” preserved the subtlety ofaroma that is often lost in warmer vintages.The yields as might expect fromancient vines were low, only about 2.75 tons per acre, but the quality wasoutstanding.

WinemakingThevineyardand thewineare a treasure troveofpre-Prohibitiongrapevarieties with an emphasis on Zinfandel, Alicante Bouschet, andCinsault. The blend is accented by plantings of Touriga Naçional, Syrah,Primitivo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Counoise, and a host of other interestinggrape varieties, to date we have identified 24, that are rarely found inCalifornia’s north coast. The grapes were harvested together and co-fermentedinthestyleoftraditionalfieldblendsthenagedfor9monthsinFrenchoak.Tofinishthewine,webottledunfilteredandunfinedtoretainthe alluring freshness of this aromatically compelling and distinctivelyflavorfuloffering.

TheLandLakeCounty’sKelseyBenchAVAwasoriginallyapyroclastic flow,and isa transitionbetween thevolcanicMayacamas Mountains to the west and the alluvial flood plain of Clear Lake to the east. The soils in thevineyard reflect this transition offeringmildly rocky, red volcanic elementsmixedwith alluvial loams. Thevineyard sits at 1,450 feet and this elevation, along with the cooling effects of the lake and the nearbymountains, create 50°F diurnal temperature swings in summer, producing wine with excellent acidity,improvedtanninstructureanddarker,morecomplexfruitcharacteristics.

TastingImpressionsfromtheWinemakers-DavidandKatharineDeSanteWithcolorsvergingfromredintodeeppurple,thisvivaciousglassofwinesmellsofberryfieldsintheheatofsummer.Whatapleasure!Riperaspberryandblackberryaromasaremetinequalmeasurebylavenderinahillsidebramble.Thepalatedoesn’tdisappointwithitssucculentmouthfulofberrieswrappedinrefreshingacidity.TheseexoticflavorsaredarkenedinasubtleframeofFrenchoak,givingonethelingeringimpressionof grilled fig and mocha. That finish meanders, leaving one with the sense that something great has justhappened.Verycompellingstuffindeed.Ideallythewinewouldbedecanted20-30minutesbeforeserving.

DancingCrowVineyards–2790SpringStreet,SaintHelenaCA94574–(707)287-4495www.dancingcrow.com

Varietals: Appellation:LakeCounty:KelseyBenchAVAZinfandel,Cinsault,AlicanteBouschetElevation:1475ft Syrah,TourigaNaçional,Primitivo,Soils:Volcanic/AlluvialCounoise,CabernetSauvignon,Aging:9monthsinFrenchOakAndvariousred&whitevarietiesAlcohol:14.5%

CasesProduced:600