2023 Carol Shelton - Zinfandel Mendocino Wild Thing HALF BOTTLE (375ml)

Carol Shelton took her first job in the wine industry back in 1978, at a time when women were often told they weren't strong enough to work in the cellar or the vineyard. She pushed past that resistance, earning a degree in enology from UC Davis, where her research on yeast strains helped demonstrate how different strains shape a wine's flavor and character, a discovery that would later inform her own winemaking philosophy. Shelton finally struck out on her own in 2000, founding her namesake winery, and by 2005 she had been named one of Sonoma County's Pioneer Women Winemakers.

Wild Thing Zinfandel draws from organically farmed old vines in Mendocino County, planted on benchland and mountainside slopes and now more than sixty years old. True to her early research, Shelton ferments this wine using only native, uninoculated yeast, a wilder and less predictable process that lends the finished wine added complexity and depth. The blend typically leans heavily on Zinfandel, rounded out with small additions of Carignane and Petite Sirah for structure and spice.

This Zinfandel opens with black cherry, ripe plum, and raspberry, accented by cigar box and vanilla-oak spice. The palate is smooth and creamy, finishing long with lush, jammy fruit. It pairs well with grilled burgers, baby back ribs, or a wedge of sharp cheddar.