Behind the Cork™ - Cline Eight Spur Zinfandel

2020 Cline Eight Spur Dry Creek Zinfandel ($25)

Cline Family Cellars, a certified sustainable family-owned and operated winery and vineyard holder based in the Carneros wine appellation of Sonoma County, California, has recently announced the introduction of Cline Family Cellars Sonoma AVA Series, a collection of four varietal wines sourced from the best growing regions in Sonoma County.

These traditionally planted Zinfandel blocks are distinctive. Short stout vines stand on their own with no trellis, their gnarled arms reaching in all directions. Original farmers called this vine pruning technique “Eight Spur.” It was back-breaking work, going vine-to-vine to create a canopy that exposed grapes to the right mix of sun, breeze and shade – but history shows that’s what it takes to make the very best Zinfandel.

This Cline Eight Spur Zinfandel is made from 100% Zinfandel grapes harvested from 100-year-old vines at the northern most end of Dry Creek Valley. Grapes are hand-harvested at night, gently de-stemmed and transferred to stainless steel closed-top tanks. The wine ferments naturally warm as wild yeast begins fermentation. Temperatures peak at 90F and the wine is left on skins for 18 days to ensure complete fermentation while being pumped over twice a day. At peak fermentation the wine is pumped-over 3 times a day before dropping to once a day for the final 8 days. It is gently drained and pressed off into separate fractions for malolactic fermentation in barrel. It is aged in 40% new French oak for 15 months before being blended and bottled.

This wine is deep ruby in color with bright aromas of black cherry and blackberry. On the palate it has nice deep flavors of dark fruit, medium tannin and a soft finish. It is gluten free and vegan friendly. This is a very nice Zinfandel from Dry Creek and, at the price, is a perfect fit as the Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week. Cheers!

Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received this sample at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Sample Provided by Cline Cellars via Donna White Communications

Ever Wonder? What is an AVA?

There are so many wine terms, acronyms and abbreviations that can be quite confusing. And, wine labels are often a place where this confusion is on display.

In the U.S., the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), which is part of the Treasury, is responsible for regulating the wine industry. Wine labeling is one of the topics they regulate.

Per the TTB’s guidance “An American viticultural area (AVA) is a type of appellation specific to grape wine. It is a defined grape-growing region having a name, distinguishing features, and a delineated boundary…” That’s a lot of words to say that an AVA is a unique wine-growing region.

So, an AVA is not just a wine growing region, it is a very specific wine growing region. And, their words “distinguishing features” are key to defining an AVA.

At first, one might assume that a Cabernet Sauvignon grape is a Cabernet Sauvignon grape no matter where it is grown. And, while that is basically true, there are subtle nuances that make a Cabernet Sauvignon grape grown in Napa Valley different than one grown in Arizona. The interaction of the soil, climate, topography and grape variety in a specific site, imprints the wine and making of each wine with specific unique characteristics. And, the wine world refers to this concept as the “terroir” (te-war). That is, specific geographic or climatic features of a wine growing region will distinguish it from the surrounding regions and affect how grapes are grown.

So, an AVA is an American Viticultural Area that has unique grape-growing characteristics.

Next time, we’ll explore some fun facts about AVAs such as wine labeling requirements, how AVAs get created and how many there are in the U.S. Until then, cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - Cline Hat Strap Chardonnay

2021 Cline Hat Strap Chardonnay ($25)

Cline Family Cellars, a certified sustainable family-owned and operated winery and vineyard holder based in the Carneros wine appellation of Sonoma County, California, has recently announced the introduction of Cline Family Cellars Sonoma AVA Series, a collection of four varietal wines sourced from the best growing regions in Sonoma County.

In 1991, Fred and Nancy Cline moved Cline Family Cellars from Oakley to a 350-acre horse ranch in Sonoma-Carneros. They began planting Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and other noble Rhône-style varietals that best suited the growing conditions of the area. Now, as the next generation assumes leadership positions within the winery, they are fulfilling their heartfelt commitment to promote Sonoma County with the introduction of this new tier of wines to showcase local Viticultural areas that produce the best expression of a signature varietal.

Hat Strap Chardonnay is sourced from the Cline family’s J. Poppe vineyard, the oldest Sonoma vineyard on the winery’s estate. “Afternoon winds are felt throughout the Carneros region and especially on the Eastern facing slopes of Wildcat Mountain where we farm our stellar Hat Strap Chardonnay,” said Fred Cline. “Winds come up from the San Pablo Bay directly pulling in cooler coastal air. The wind is so strong that I need to hang on to my hat when inspecting the vineyard,” remarked Fred. Hence, the name ‘Hat Strap’ for this wine.

This 2021 Cline Hat Strap Chardonnay is produced from 100% Chardonnay that is hand harvested. The grapes are immediately pressed and settled for 24 hours to remove some solid, while retaining enough to create a full textured wine. After inoculation, a cool fermentation begins in a mixture of stainless steel tanks and French oak barrels. It then undergoes 100% malolactic fermentation. It then spends extended time on lees with periodic stirring. The wine is aged for 10 months in 35% new French Oak barrels, 35% in neutral barrels and the balance in stainless steel tanks.

This Cline Chardonnay is medium-gold in color with aromas of baked apple and pear. On the palate it is creamy smooth with hints of apple, pear and citrus. It finishes really nice. Cheers!

Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received this sample at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Sample Provided by Cline Cellars via Donna White Communications