Eight Spur, 2020
Winery:
Cline Family Cellars
Intense flavors of black cherry, black currant, cinnamon and baking spice with a rich, ripe palate.
Region:
USA, California (Sonoma)
Ratings/Score/Awards:
90pts. Wine Enthusiast
Varietal Composition:
Zinfandel
Fun Facts:
Fred Cline first started planting vines in Oakley, California in 1982, with some of the first vintages coming from original plantings of Mourvèdre, Zinfandel, and Carignane dating back to the 1880s. In 1989, Fred and Nancy Cline purchased a 350-acre horse farm in Sonoma-Carneros, moving the winery there. Given that the Cline's had seven (7) children, it was important to them that pesticides and herbicides not be used. They also farm sustainably, using cover crops and compost teas to nourish the soil, and sheep to control the weeds.
Technical Data:
Fermentation Mode:
Grapes are hand-harvested at night, gently destemmed and transferred to stainless steel closed top tanks. The wine ferments naturally warm as wild yeast begins fermentation. Temperatures peak at 90F and the wine is left on skins for 18 days to ensure complete fermentation and pumped over twice a day early. At peak fermentation the wine is pumped-over 3 times a day before dropping to once a day for the final 8 days.
Malolactic Fermentation:
Yes
Maturation Mode & Time:
15 months, 40% new French oak.