McNab Ridge Winery

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.

Rich Parducci is one of those rare California winemakers working with Pinotage, a hybrid of Pinot Noir and Cinsaut created in South Africa in the 1920s. So he couldn’t resist splashing in 5 percent of it with the bigger lots of Petite Sirah and Syrah. If you know what you’re looking for (stand up, all you Pinotage fans), you can find Cinsaut’s dark dry earth quality enriching a wine that otherwise smells a lot like varietal Zinfandel (58%). Make that tasty varietal Zinfandel, packed with ripe black and red berries and textured with a nice spectrum of tannins that start soft up front and gain a bit of an edge on the back end. The long finish reaches back for a final touch of earthy Pinotage. A Coro for adventurers.

Reviewed August 7, 2007 by Thom Elkjer.