ndel
rather than the same ol' same ol': sensory quali- ties tied directly to terroir-related distinctions. Finally, there is the fact that the fi nest Zinfandels invariably come from California's oldest vineyards, planted as long ago as the 19th century. Vines that were planted over 100 years ago don't survive unless they are well loved, and you don't need to know exactly how to explicate the terroir in wines from these plantings to appreciate their signifi cance. All it takes is knowing that the best California Zinfandels are best appreciated for where they are grown, in the same way we appreciate all the fi nest wines of the world.
As usual, the choices of Zinfandels to taste at the 2012 ZAP Grand Tasting will run in the
hundreds. Thinking of boning up on classic Zinfandel terroirs in preparation for this? There is a Historic Vineyard Society page at historicvineyardsociety.org dedicated to pre- serving the identity and existence of vineyards originally planted in California prior to 1960—for all intents and purposes, pure Zinfandel plant- ings or fi eld mixes dominated by Zinfandel. California Zinfandel is too good a wine to be appreciated simply in terms as ignominious as varietal character. In the best Zinfandels, sense of terroir is always there. Even if you can't make out the sensory distinctions, it's there in the quality—especially in the case of Zinfandels coming from historic plantings, which have endured precisely for that reason.
january/february 2012 / the tasting panel / 65
