Mission Codename 💘
You want terroir? Curious to try a noninterventionist wine that does not smell and taste of the wet floor in a dirty barnyard?
We got it right here. Some pure, unadulterated, electrifying Zin that’s unlike just about anything you’ve had before. Unless you got in on that Mendocino Cuvée, the other Les Enfants Terribles Zin we sold out of, then you know what to expect. World’s best price again, too, for just $19 a bottle.
The husband-and-wife team behind Dashe Cellars, Mike & Anne draw on a wealth of experience, having worked at some of the most renowned wineries around the globe: Lafite-Rothschild and La Dominique in Bordeaux, Cloudy Bay in New Zealand, Schramsberg, Far Niente, Ridge, and Chappellet stateside (not making that impressive resume up!) Today they focus on vineyard-designate expressions such as this.
The grapes come entirely from Heart Arrow Ranch, one of the “finest Biodynamically farmed farms in Mendocino County” as they describe it. Modest alcohol for a Zin (13.5%), fermented on native yeasts, whole cluster in a semi-carbonic style, with low SO2 - everything about it designed to zoom in on the true Zinfandel character.
Think Grand Cru Beaujolais with a California flair. Or Zin with a Pinot personality. Light to medium in body but HUGE on personality and style. Brimming, nay SINGING with bright red raspberry, and wild strawberry, and wet river stones with a sprinkling of savory spices. Exuberant and FRESH! And the echoing aromas linger for a while, hand in hand with juicy acidity and dusty tannins… just, WOW.
If you are familiar with the magic of Dashe, you already know what’s up. Round out your locker with a bottle or five, and maybe throw in a big baller Cabernet (got a good one coming in a few days!), to get you all set for the fall, and beyond.
We’re not the only ones who have caught this bug, as Wine & Spirits just picked the next vintage of this as Wine of the Week calling it a “Whole-Berry, Happy Zin” describing its unique personality accurately as “significantly lighter than most contemporary Zins, its strength is in the evocation of a place… as if the yeasts have consumed only enough of the whole berries that the structure and shape of the grape is still intact, allowing light to shine through the skin. Those skins hold bright tannins, thriving with energy, providing thorns to the rose scents and iron to the dark plum and pomegranate flavors.”
Brilliantly concluding that “a bottle will go fast as it’s a wine to make you smile.”
Wish we had a ton to offer though, this too will sell out fast.
Tasting Profile
Tasting Profile
Look | Bright, translucent ruby with gorgeous, glass-staining streaks of mulberry and magenta |
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Smell | Brimming, nay SINGING with bright red raspberry, and wild strawberry, and wet river stones with a sprinkling of savory spices |
Taste | Light to medium in body, HUGE on personality and style, think Grand Cru Beaujolais with a CA flair, or Zin with a Pinot personality |
Finish | Exuberant and fresh, echoing aromas linger for a while, hand in hand with juicy acidity and dusty tannins |
Pairing | Spaghetti & meatballs, mushroom lasagna, or a meal-on-its-own elaborate charcuterie & cheese platter |
What the Winery Says
2017 'Heart Arrow Ranch' Les Enfants Terribles Zinfandel
- Winemaker
- Michael Dashe
- Varietal
- 100% Zinfandel
- Vintage
- 2017
- Appellation
- Eagle Peak, Mendocino County
- Vineyard
- Heart Arrow Ranch
- Alcohol
- 13.5%
- Aging
- 5 months
- Barrels
- 900-gallon French foudre