Ancient Bush Vines Zinfandel Ling Estate by Leo

Danish Leo Steen, who currently runs his own wine company (Leo Steen Wines) in Sonoma, is the “Scout” for this wine. Through his enormous network in the area, he has been able to select the right grapes and subsequently make the wine so that it matches a well-defined flavor profile that is targeted at fine gastronomy and the Danish market.

The wine is made from 100% Zinfandel from the single-vineyard Ling Estate Vineyard in the Mokelumne River AVA – the southwestern part of the famous Lodi wine region. The vines are over 80 years old and grown in an authentic bush vine style, with relatively wide spacing between vines and no pruning or other intervention.

The grapes for this Bush Vine Zinfandel are hand-picked a little earlier than you would normally do, which promotes a character of slightly greener, but ripe notes and a fine and balanced creaminess. At the same time, it limits the sugar content and thus the alcohol percentage. The wine is fermented in large wooden barrels on the grapes' own yeast strains, after which 40% of the wine is matured for 4 months in used, European oak barrels, while the remaining 60% has been in stainless steel tanks for 7 months, which helps to preserve the clean, tight Zinfandel character. The wine is bottled without filtration.

The aroma of the wine offers an explosion of blackberries and loganberries as well as a fine touch of white pepper and sage. Medium body and good freshness as well as a spicy, sweet and long aftertaste of dark berries. Delicious and crisp wine that is easy to drink, and not least easy to like. Stylistically, it provides a really nice counterpoint to the many Zinfandel wines, where the sweetness and alcohol are often too much!

The wine will be a perfect companion to the Danish Christmas meal, roast pork or duck with all the trimmings. Otherwise, it is also ideal for dishes with lamb and beef, preferably accompanied by a berry chutney or a lightly spicy salsa. Serve the wine at approx. 16-17 °C.

A little about the house…
Behind Leo Steen Wines is Danish-born Leo Steen Hansen, who moved to California in 1999.
As the son of the then head chef at Kryb-i-Ly Kro, between Middelfart and Kolding, at the age of 20 he apprenticed with master sommelier Orla Farman at Munkebjerg Hotel.
Later, he was head sommelier at Restaurant Kong Hans in Copenhagen for a few years, before traveling to California to further his education and perhaps fulfill his dream of making wine.
He ended up in Sonoma and quickly got jobs as a waiter, sommelier and wine buyer at Dry Creek Kitchen and Cyrus Restaurant in Healdsburg.

In 2002, he began working in the cellar at Stuhmuller Vineyards in Alexander Valley, where he simultaneously completed an oenology education.
Today he is responsible for the vinification at Stuhmuller, but a few years ago he also started making a few wines under his own name, Leo Steen Wines, by finding grapes from carefully selected plots in California and vinifying them himself.
Leo has garnered great recognition for his wines, which are stylistically kept as close to the European style as possible, with good fruit and juice, but also with a good structure and a bite that goes well with good gastronomy.

99% Pinot Noir
1% Grenache
Alcohol: 13.5%
Contents: 75 cl