Don Wallace/Dry Creek Vineyard/Single Vineyard Zinfandels

Recently I sat down with Don Wallace and discussed the wines of Dry Creek Vineyard.I'm very impressed with this winery.They have always been a force from this region but now lead the way in their production of Zinfandel. They have a very impressive program in place to rejuvenate their production of this grape and the prove is in the bottle.Today we will look at the tasting notes of a few single vineyard Zinfandels,and look into the history of this incredible force from Dry Creek growing region. Vineyard diversity forms the cornerstone of their winemaking philosophy. Sonoma County’s has a vast array of growing conditions that allow us to satisfy our desire to define varietal type by discovering varietal-specific growing conditions. To ensure a measure of control in this regard, we farm multiple vineyards within ten separate estate-owned properties in the heart of wine country that total approximately 185 vine acres. For example, the Dry Creek Valley is the keeper of our hearts for several types of wine, including Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel and, more recently, the Bordeaux varieties. Our passion for wine, though, often causes us to connect with the Russian River Valley for cool-loving grapes like Chardonnay. For our Chenin Blanc, Clarksburg, in the Sacramento Delta, satisfies us with precisely balanced fruit. Our family-owned vineyards provide approximately 65% of the overall production at Dry Creek Vineyard. Additional fruit is sourced from other Dry Creek Valley vineyards managed by long-term contract growers. In addition to vineyard diversity and the use of varied appellations to produce our different types of wine, there is also the lesser-known, more complex, notion of terroir. Climate, soil and “that special something” all come together to form an ideal backdrop for grape growing. And it’s not just grapes that flourish in Sonoma County wine country – plants, flowers, fruits and vegetables all enjoy the dramatic and varied topography of our region. From the incredible farmers’ markets