WTN: Frank’s-ly my dear, I don’t give a damn

[David M. Bueker]

• 2017 Once & Future Wine Zinfandel Frank's Block Teldeschi Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley (5/8/2020)
  Jaw droppingly good. Cinnamon dusted cherries and silky tannins. It’s way too drinkable, even on night two. Thankful I left a glass, even though I wanted to finish it last night. Stunning,

• 2017 Once & Future Wine Zinfandel Frank's Block Teldeschi Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley (5/8/2020)
  Jaw droppingly good. Cinnamon dusted cherries and silky tannins. It’s way too drinkable, even on night two. Thankful I left a glass, even though I wanted to finish it last night. Stunning,

Your descriptions are great. Sometimes zinfandel can be so drinkable, and it reminds you why CA wine has been so successful. Of course I never actually get around to buying or drinking zinfandel these days. How high was the alcohol on this one?

[David M. Bueker]

Over 14%, but no heat at all.

Not low, but I suppose not insane either, given the way things go these days.

[David M. Bueker]

And that it's Zin.

Do you know when the vines were planted?

Do you know when the vines were planted?

Of course, Frank Teldeschi had his favorite blocks of grapes on the ranch; one of them was a small somewhat mixed block planted in the cobbly Tuscan Red Hill Series soils that Frank claimed was the oldest block on the ranch - that would mean it was planted sometime around 1900. “Frank’s Block” is low production – around a ton and a half per acre – and includes Carignane and Alicante Bouchet in the mix. From winery website https://www.onceandfuturewine.com/wines/

Joel Peterson did a Zoom session for The Wine Society, who sell 6 of his wines including this from the 2018 vintage.

I've been reading the website and pondering what to get.

BTW - from the thread title I had no idea which wine was being talked about.

I looked at it because I recently learned that the famous quote should have a 'n' after the 'm'

It's supposed to refer to a small worthless Indian coin called a 'dam'..

We had a similar saying when I was a boy about not giving (caring) a farthing (farthing being 1/4 of a (old) penny, and I guess there's a similar saying in the USA about not giving a cent...

[David M. Bueker]

Well I still don’t give a damn.

Thanks, Peter for the additional information on the vines. I thought from David's description that it might be a wine made from old vine Zinfandel.

Thanks, Peter for the additional information on the vines. I thought from David's description that it might be a wine made from old vine Zinfandel.

It's not 100% Zin though, its a field blend.

Joel Peterson did a fascinating presentation at the last AWS Conference on just how these complementary varieties,such as Alicante Bouschet ("a little AB goes a long way, can quickly dominate a wine."), Carignan ("adds zip -acidity and spiciness to Zin"), Petite Sirah ("PS is a pain to grow, lacks colour, structure, is extremely tannic.") influenced Zin

After two of his 100% Zins, he showed some field blends and 100% examples of the complementary varieties and asked us to mix our own blends by adding complementary varieties to the 100% Zins.

It confirmed what I'd found through buying Ridge Zins, that I preferred the ones that weren't 100% Zin, a small amount of something else seemed to give a wine greater than the sum of its components.

Lytton Springs was one of my epiphanies as far as USA domestic wines are concerned. Originally I was disappointed that Ridge Zins were not 100% from Zinfandel grapes but I changed my mind as I drank more of their wines. I had the pleasure of sharing a cab with Mr. Draper after a Nantucket Wine Festival event.

[David M. Bueker]

No, it’s not 100% Zinfandel. It meets the 85% cutoff for the most restrictive US labeling laws, and exceeds the 75% that would be needed for labeling as Zin in California.

The rest is just details.

Ya, might just be "details". But the "details" and possible other "influences" helped contribute to make this wine (in your opinion) "jaw droppingly good"

Salute

[David M. Bueker]

Of course. I was replying to Peter’s dismissive tone.