2022 Carol Shelton - Zinfandel Mendocino Wild Thing (750ml)

Carol Shelton is one of California's most decorated female winemakers, having built her reputation over decades of hands-on work with old vine Zinfandel from Sonoma and Mendocino Counties. She came to California as a high school student and later trained at UC Davis before establishing her own label, where she has become known for a distinctly natural, low-intervention style. Wild Thing takes its name from her signature technique: fermenting with no added commercial yeast, letting the wild yeast native to the organic vineyard drive the process instead, along with a nod to the untamed, sprawling look of the old vines themselves.

This bottling comes from benchland and mountain-slope vineyards in Mendocino County's Ukiah area, planted with vines over sixty-five years old and farmed organically. A small portion of Carignane and Petite Sirah grown alongside the Zinfandel is blended in for added depth. Following a three-day cold soak, the wine underwent a spontaneous wild fermentation and macerated for twenty to twenty-five days, a slower, more deliberate process meant to draw out complexity and true varietal character from the fruit.

The nose offers black cherry, ripe plum, and raspberry, layered with cigar box and vanilla-oak spice. The palate is smooth and creamy, round in texture, with a long finish of lush, jammy fruit. It pairs nicely with barbecue brisket, spiced pork tacos, or a rich tomato-based pasta.