Golden Vineyards

For Golden Vineyards, winemaker Dennis Patton kept it simple: he used the minimum allowable number of grapes, all from the top of the list (Zinfandel, Syrah and Petite Sirah), and let the Zin and Syrah carry almost 90% of the load. These two grapes know each other well in Mendocino County, and have been paired in countless blends over the County’s century and a half of winemaking. Here they knit effortlessly with Pets – another long-time component in Mendo blends – into a mouthwatering, blueberry/blackberry-driven elixir. Twenty months of oak aging imparted a serious load of tannin, but Patton has embedded it into the plump texture of the wine in a way that makes the experience clean and classy rather than heavy or astringent.

The fruit is all in the family: the Syrah and Petite Sirah were grown by Joe and Julie Golden in their own vineyards in Sanel Valley and at high-elevation Heart Arrow Ranch, respectively, and the Zin came from Julie’s father’s vineyard. The Golden crew farm their fields biodynamically, which is not only good for the earth – it also keeps the fruit flavors pure and free; and that in the end is probably why Patton felt no need to get fancy with the blend. He had what he needed in the grapes and wisely lets them sing their own song.

Reviewed July 4, 2006 by Thom Elkjer.