Great Old Vines, Great Field Blend Wine
The 2005 vintage marks St. Francis' eleventh harvest of Old Vines Zinfandel from the famed Pagani Vineyard. This Old Vine Zinfandel is crafted of fruit from grapevines first planted by family patriarch Felice Pagani on this Sonoma Valley vineyard in the 1880's, and to this day is farmed in the old "field blend" style. Although the vineyard blocks are mostly old vine Zinfandel, they also contain a diverse range of grape varieties. In "old field blend vineyards", farmers planted several different varieties in a single row. These were varieties they felt would combine to make great red table wine. Sonoma County's warm summer season ripened these grapes to the peak of their potential – spicy, brambly Zinfandel, chocolately Petite Sirah, floral Mourvedre, peppery Carignane and intensely colored blue-black Alicante Bouschet. American oak specifically selected for its cinnamon, nutmeg and clove flavors truly enhance the complexity of this treasured Sonoma Valley Old Vine Zinfandel.
