Dunnewood Vineyards

Coro Mendocino is a wine that any winery bonded in Mendocino County is eligible to make. They just have to follow the rules. First, Zinfandel must comprise between 40% and 70% of the blend, and no other grape can account for a great share than Zin. Second, most of the rest of the wine must come from a list of so-called “heritage” grapes with a long history in Mendocino (Syrah, Petite Sirah, Carignane, Sangiovese, Grenache, Dolcetto, Charbono, Barbera, Primitivo); there’s also a “free play” allotment of up to 10% that can come from any grape currently grown in the county (such as Pinot Noir and Pinotage). Finally, the wine must be aged in barrel at least a year, aged in bottle at least a year, and be in balance as defined by alcohol, pH, and total acidity.

At Dunnewood, George Phelan’s Coro is more than half Zinfandel, followed by Syrah at 37.7 percent . He also included some Charbono, which is in the heritage list but hard to find (only one other Coro, Pacific Star, uses it). The Zin’s the bright red fruit, the Syrah’s the dark sweet fruit, and the Charbono’s the earthy, dark under layer in the aromas. Good texture enlivens the entry, which is also bright with acidity. The oak is noticeable when the wine’s newly open, as a vanilla or clay component, but the wood softens and melds into the fruit well when the bottle’s been open or the wine’s decanted. More complex than sweet, more layered than lip-smacking. A thinking man’s Coro.

Reviewed August 7, 2007 by Thom Elkjer.