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

Carol Shelton began her wine industry career in 1978, at a time when women were rarely permitted to work in the cellar or the vineyard. She pushed past that resistance, found mentors willing to teach her the craft, and eventually earned a place among the Pioneer Women Winemakers of Sonoma County. In 2000, after years of hands-on experience and a UC Davis enology background, she launched her own label, building a reputation for expressive, old-vine California wines made with a distinctly independent spirit.

Wild Thing takes its name from the gnarled, untamed appearance of the century-old Zinfandel vines it comes from, along with the wild, native yeast fermentation used in the cellar. The fruit is grown on benchland and mountain slope vineyards in Mendocino County, where vines have been in the ground for more than 65 years. The wine is built primarily from old-vine Zinfandel, rounded out with small portions of Carignane and Petite Sirah for added depth and structure.

The glass shows black cherry, ripe plum, and raspberry fruit, layered with graphite, cigar box, and warm vanilla baking spice. The palate is plush and creamy, with jammy dark fruit carrying through a long, satisfying finish. It pairs well with grilled steak fajitas, smoky barbecue chicken, or a wedge of aged asiago.