Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/898117
november 2017 / the tasting panel / 95 Wente Vineyards 2013 CHARLES WETMORE ESTATE CABERNET SAUVIGNON, LIVERMORE VALLEY Ever the stewards of the Livermore Valley, the Wente family has been making wines in the area for five generations. They've named this particular vineyard after Charles Wetmore, a farmer and the very first agricultural commissioner of California. Wetmore also had a penchant for wine and brought back clip- pings from the great châteaus in Bordeaux, planting them in Livermore. In fact, the vines in the vineyard today are descendants of these clippings. The Charles Wetmore Vineyard is located on gravelly loam soil in between the Arroyo del Valle and the Arroyo Mocho watersheds. This area is ideal for growing world-class Cabernet Sauvignon. In the 1800s, Livermore's reputa- tion for Cabernet outshined Napa Valley, and it wasn't until after Prohibition that Napa started to take over. The Charles Wetmore Estate Cabernet reminds us of this. Tasting Note LangeTwins 2014 OLD VINE ZINFANDEL, LODI Tasting Note Bright and lively; fol- lowing through with some fun red cherry and current. A fast drive up the Pacific Coast Highway with the top down. —Jared Hooper Jenna Kunde, District Manager of LangeTwins Collection of Family Wines, seemed pleased with the calls made by the somms; most guessed Zinfandel or Cabernet Sauvignon from Paso Robles. She commended the room before offer- ing some background after the reveal of the LangeTwins 2014 Old Vine Zinfandel from Lodi, California. "The Lange twins are actually identical twin brothers who are fourth- generation farmers. Their family has been farming in the Lodi region since the late 1800s," she explained. "In 1974, the twins began farming together as 'LangeTwins', and knew they would focus on growing wine grapes. In 2006, together with their families, they made a decision to open the winery. So really, they have been involved in the wine industry for years as growers, and now are showcasing their passion for winegrape growing with LangeTwins wines." We wanted to highlight this particular red as the 2014 Old Vine Zinfandel was just released roughly four months ago. "Lodi Zins come with a stigma of having super high alcohol or being a port-style. This Zin shows that elegance and refinement can come out of the region," she continued. "In Lodi, there are 100-plus-year-old vineyards and this specific Zin comes from 60- to 100-year-old vines from different vineyards throughout the appellation, some estate grown, some from the LangeTwins' families' friends. Once at the winery, the wine spends 12–18 months in 100-percent American oak, which gives you that spicier finish." Jenna Kunde, District Manager of LCF Wines, presents the LangeTwins 2014 Old Vine Zinfandel. Red raspberry and plum, sweet vanilla, and new oak, but well-integrated. Tastes expensive. Soft tannins and a soft finish. Must be New World. —Amanda Craig