1999 Ancient Vines Zinfandel label

CLINE CELLARS
1999 Ancient Vines Zinfandel
CALIFORNIA
Technical Notes
Harvest Date: September 10th - October 9th
Brix at Harvest: 25.1°
Total Acidity: 0.73g/100ml
Final pH: 3.61
Residual Sugar: 0.022 g/L
Alcohol: 14.0%
Cases Produced: 6953
Suggested Retail: $23

VINTAGE NOTES
The harvest of 1999 proved to be a year to remember, where weather was nothing short of challenging, from bud break in the spring through a late harvest in the fall. This harvest will go down in California's winemaking history as one of the latest and longest, with spring rains and cool weather pushing harvest back four to six weeks. Fortunately, Mother Nature began to cooperate in September with a warming trend, thus ripening our grapes to maturity. Unfortunately the crop was miniscule in size but, fruit flavors are very intense and colors are unbelievably black. The harvesting for Cline Cellars 1999 Zinfandels began Labor Day weekend, September 2, 1999, in Contra Costa County and did not conclude until late November for our Fulton Road Zinfandel (Russian River).
VINEYARDS
The 1999 Ancient Vines Zinfandel draws primarily from a wide selection of our oldest, most historic and shyest-bearing Zinfandel blocks. Planted by our Italian and Portuguese forefathers in the sandy, phylloxera-resistant soils of Oakley, California, these ancient, dry-farmed vineyards-some over 100 years in age-consistently produce fruit of stunning concentration. The lots that we hand-selected for the 1999 blend showed an added degree of ripeness and dimension that is the result of sensitive farming practices, the singular Oakley terroir and a unique cooling band of air that flows from the San Joaquin and Sacramento Rivers. The 1999 Ancient Vines Zinfandel is a blend of 55% Contra Costa, 38% Lodi, and 7% Napa fruit.

FERMENTATION AND AGING
Individual lots of fruit for the 1999 Ancient Vines Zinfandel were harvested separately according to ripeness and balance of acidity. The grapes underwent near total destemming and a very gentle crushing to ensure a large proportion of whole berries in the must-contributing to the explosive fruit character of the wine. Fermentation was carried out in stainless steel with select cultured and indigenous yeasts after a 48-hour cold soak to extract color and flavor early on. The wines were pressed off their skins at dryness and racked gently before being laid down to a compliment of small French and American oak cooperage for 14 months- approximately 30% new American. Before bottling, small amounts of Mourvèdre and Carignane were blended with the Zinfandel to achieve a harmonious and structured wine capable of aging for several years.
WINEMAKER'S COMMENTS
The 1999 Ancient Vines Zinfandel shows wonderful dusty raspberry, blackberry, white pepper and spice, with coffee and chocolate characters. Prolonged aging in new and used wood has lent this wine a subtle vanilla quality that complements nicely the explosive fruit notes. Enjoy this wine presently for its effusive black fruit, or cellar for 5 to 7 years.
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Cline Cellars 24737 Hwy 121, Sonoma, CA 95476 707/935-4310
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