2001 York Creek Zinfandel

Candied plum, black currant, anise, crushed-pepper aromas. Classic ripe York Creek flavors: rich blackberry, layers of plum and black currant, black pepper. Hints of vanilla, coffee, licorice. Firm structural tannins.

In this warm year with its scant spring rains, the York Creek vines again reached “Late Picked” levels. We work closely with our growers to harvest at full flavor, but more moderate ripeness. For the third consecutive year, York Creek has gone beyond that. To add structure to the very ripe zinfandel, we have included a major amount of petite sirah. A third of the wine aged in new and one-year-old air-dried american oak barrels, and the rest in similar, tempered oak. Chalky tannins behind the rich fruit of this massive wine assure its continuing development. Enjoyable now, it will be at its best over the next five to seven years. PD (3/03)

York Creek Vineyard, situated high on Spring Mountain, overlooks St. Helena and the Napa Valley from the west. Ridge came here in 1971 for the old-vine petite sirah. We first harvested York Creek zinfandel in 1975, and have made both wines in every vintage since.

Rainfall: Most in mid-winter, little in spring, water stress by August (less than normal)
Bloom: Late May
Weather: Warm spring, summer, fall.

Harvest Dates: 30 September – 8 October (late)
Grapes: Average brix 26.9°; average pH at crush 3.71.
Fermentation: No inoculation; natural primary and secondary. Zinfandel was fully crushed and submerged- cap fermented; petite sirah was destemmed, left as whole berries, and fermented in open-top tanks. Pressed at eight days.
Barrels: 100% air-dried american oak barrels; one-third new and one year old, remainder two to six years old.
Aging: Seventeen months in barrel

Quarterly Review of Wines (Jun 2004): Second place (the 2001 Zinfandel Pagani Ranch took Best of Show).

International Wine Cellar (Jan/Feb 2004): Bright ruby-red. Deeply pitched but fruity aromas of currant, chocolate, mocha and mellow oak. Huge, dense and deep, but with somewhat one-dimensional peppery flavor and a distinct herbacity. Slow-building finish features big but ripe tannins and a faint green edge. Rated: 88

Wine Advocate (Oct 2003): Another terrific effort, the deep ruby/purple colored 2001 Zinfandel York Creek boasts aromas of black fruit, minerals, animal, and earth. This primordial-styled Zin is full-bodied, burly, muscular, and loaded. While not as gracious as the Geyserville, it is a macho offering to drink over the next 5-6 years. Rated: 91

Average Rating: 89.4

No. of Tasting Notes: 49

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