Whitcraft - 'Stampede Vineyard' - Zinfandel - Clement Hills, Lodi, CA - 2023

@whitcraftwinerydrakewhitcraft, drakewhitcraft

Satellite's Hot Take

I don't mess much with zinfandel... they often suck. They're blown out, sapid, and uninterestingly brash and inelegantly contrarian... TBH the predominant style of modern California zin reminds me of the most blow-hard of political blowhards.. you know who.. but this is not that friend. This is Zinfandel in the hands of the most elegant producer in the central coast, one of the most storied in CA, and one who's influences come both from the greatest to ever do it in California (think Drake's own dad - the legendary Chris Whitcraft and Burt Williams of Williams Selyem, among many more).
Drakes naturally simple but exacting style is a frame that's consistent for all his wines. Whole cluster ferments til dry, neutral barrels, time in bottle, low so2, no messing around with other stuff. Get great grapes and make them all in a consistent style - that's how it works at Whitcraft and that's why it's such a distinct pleasure to taste his wines side by side - because the winemaker is removed and site, farming, and harvest date become the predominant conversation.
Drake Whitcraft is a gift. This wine is an elegant and perfect approach to Zinfandel... and it goes hella fine with a lil pizza pie.

Zinfandel is American power.. and this one sets the tone for how these wines ought to be approached. The right way.

Notes from the Winery/Importer

These vines are 100 years old and organically dry farmed in Lodi right on the Mokelumne River. The Block is planted 95% Zin and the remaining 5% is a mix of Alicante Bouschet, Grenache, Pais and Petit Syrah. Big brambleberry on the nose, red licorice, purple fruit and flowers, and a touch of Nor-Cal air (pine trees and old oaks, red dirt and granite) in the glass. The mouth is silk, pure silk. Delicious Bing Cherry and baking spice.

Notes on the Producer

When Drake Whitcraft took over the family winery in 2007 (the winery was founded two decades before, in 1985 by his parents, Chris and Kathleen) his goal was to make balanced Central Coast wine of purity, honesty, and finesse. Because he grew up within the culture of wine and California winemaking, he was perpetually under the tutelage of both father Chris and friend Burt Williams, founder of the legendary Williams-Selyem winery in Sonoma. During a two year stint in Australia working at Green Vineyards with first-generation Italo-Australian and biodynamic guru Sergio Carlei, he got a good taste of certain practices he wanted to implement, not only in the vineyard and winery but also on the business side. Now Drake is vinifying with the same old school techniques his dad used (hand-harvesting, foot-pressing etc, no added enzymes or coloration) and with much veneration to Mother Nature herself.
His vineyards all use organic and/or biodynamic practices to produce Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Zinfandel, Gamay, Trousseau, and Grenache of distinction; he does not de-stem or add water. Drake has chosen to inoculate only with the Williams Selyem strain, a yeast native to the Jackass Hill portion of Lino Martinelli’s Zinfandel vineyard on the Russian River. “It’s a super yeast,” he says “guaranteed to ferment.” Whole cluster fermentation is never subject to pump over and the wines are not racked off the lees. He hand fills and hand corks each bottle. The wine receives just enough SO2 to stabilize it, and the production is super small. It's the only inoculation we allow for still wines at Satellite... in that it's really a wild yeast strain identified and used as part of a natural process.
The resulting wines are clean and impeccably balanced. They represent a cross section of the emerging class of site-specific wines coming out of Central Coast California today.

Grapes & Style

Zinfandel

Zinfandel is closely tied to California, even though its genetic roots connect it to Croatia and southern Italy’s Primitivo. It has become one of California’s signature grapes, especially in old-vine vineyards across places like Sonoma, Lodi, Contra Costa, Amador, and Paso Robles.

In the vineyard, Zinfandel ripens unevenly, often with raisins and underripe berries in the same cluster. It likes warmth and can build sugar quickly, so the best wines depend on thoughtful farming and picking before ripeness turns into heaviness. Old vines can be especially compelling, naturally limiting yields and adding concentration.

In the glass, Zinfandel tends toward brambly berry fruit, raspberry jam, black cherry, spice, pepper, and sometimes a wild herbal edge. It can be lush and high in alcohol, but the best versions keep freshness and a sense of snap. We like Zin most when it feels generous but not sweet or overbuilt.