This is fantastic! Thanks ever so much, Mike.
I’m putting together a small “ancient vines” (100/+) zin tasting in the autumn for my tasting group and you and (all the others) on this thread have made tracking the wines down very easy…now if I only didn’t live in the Peoples Republic of Pennsylvania.
and 'tho 
, and their website doesn’t list much info, I didn’t see this on your most recent list:
Lodi-Schmierer vineyard , 107 year old vines, SOQUEL Vineyards producer
Misha, welcome to the Berserkerest spot on the Internet. Have fun.
Welcome, Misha. Enjoy!
This wonderful thread has really reopened my eyes to Zinfandel. Naturally, pickings up here are quite slim but I think this thread is amazing info.
I have always seen the Galileo quote as “Wine is sunlight, held together by water”, is that inaccurate?
My 2nd favorite wine quote behind the Diogenes classic.
Mike, thanks for posting the link to Chronicle. I am new to Berserkers, and am enjoying this discussion. Just a note of clarification…Ted Lemon made my 06 and 07 Pinot Noirs at Chronicle, but not the Zins. They were made by Dan Cederquist, longtime winemaker for DeLoach, who has championed many of the old vine Zin sites (particularly in Russian River) and helped keep them from being torn up or replanted. It has been a privilege to make wine from the Gaddis, Gambogi and Bacigalupi sites…they neighbor each other on Piner Rd, yet each has such distinct personality. My research has indicated Gaddis was planted in 1903, Gambogi in 1906, and Bacigalupi in 1950 (by Ernest Bacigalupi). Long live cool climate, old vine Zin!
M - thank you for your note. I notice that the dates we have for your vineyards are very close to your research. You will be hearing from us soon! I look forward to tasting Chronicle!
Mike, meet Mike!
I saw Ridge talking up a new release they have of Zinfandel from a vineyard in the Alexander Valley that they said was of old vines. Anyone have any info on the Carmichael Vineyard up there? I think they said the 09 would be their 2nd release from there.
Misha, thanks for the info on Lodi-Schmierer and please post the results of your tasting!
Cris - nice catch. Here is what the Ridge website says:
Originally a part of the Rancho Sotoyomi land grant, these hundred acres were purchased in the mid-1800s by Archibald Carmichael. Ridge began farming the western half in 2000. The soils differ considerably between the upper and lower blocks. The Carmichael comes from the blocks just below the abandoned right of way of the old Northwestern Pacific railroad. This is our third release from the ranch.
We’ll need to vet this through David Gates.
Mike,
I think they went on to say they were replanted 25 years ago maybe but it was sketchy. I didn’t feel like the complete info was there so as you say, it needs to be vetted.
Ridge has been making an ATP release from Carmichael Vineyard since 2004. See http://www.ridgewine.com/acrobat/oct06-04zcm.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; .
Interesting that the 2005 Carmichael was from a couple of 20 year old blocks.
Edit: Hey you guys were quick!
Never having read/translated his original works not sure, but ça m’est égal or six of one; half dozen of the other. Seems more poetic/sexier ![[wink.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/0/04707e6a7bbb03e0153e349d8a9270d30e1e9525.gif "wink"){kind=small}
w/ “moisture” to me.
I can roll with moisture.
Will do. BTW, is there an actual CellarTracker link to all these wines?
Misha, the database is not linked to CT yet, but we hope to get there.
Didn’t see on the list:
Marsten/FranzHillVnyd at http://www.FranzHillVineyard.com
Maybe under another name??
Tom
Hey Tom, thank you for this.
From the website, it sounds like the vineyard was planted in the 1870s, replanted with walnuts and prunes in the 20s, and finally replanted again with Zinfandel grapes in 1969?
We have defined “old vine” in our registry as living, producing vines planted no later than 1950. That said, Franz Hill sounds like something I would love to taste!
Another vineyard to add to the list McDowell Valley Vineyards Gibson block panted to Syrah and others:
“The 1948 Gibson block was examined again by Dr. Carol Meredith in 1998. Using DNA analysis, she found true Syrah, along with Peloursin, Durif, Aubun, Alicante Bouschet, Carignane and Grenache all in the same block. Most of these varietal differences are fairly obvious; however, even Dr. Meredith had trouble distinguishing the differences between Durif, Peloursin, and Aubun. Whoever originally planted our vineyards in 1919 certainly knew and believed in Rhône wine grape varietals. We still farm another very old block of Grenache planted in that era, from which we make our Grenache Rosé.”
see: http://www.mcdowellsyrah.com/mcdowell/page/vineyards.jsp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I don’t see a vineyard designate from this vineyard but this has to be one of the oldest Syrah vineyards in California.