Ashanta "Zazen" Zinfandel, Santa Cruz Mountains, California 2022

FROM ASHANTA:

THE PRODUCER: Ashanta Wines abides by zero:zero, traditional winemaking practices and makes a full range of bespoke wines. From experimental multi-fruit co-ferments, Pet-Nats, skin contact whites, field blends and elegant California Reds. Our wines are terroir driven expressions of Pachamama and her seasons.

Unfined. Unfiltered. Wild yeast fermentations. Zero S02.

We source our fruit from family-operated vineyards and work with growers who farm with organic and/or biodynamic practices. We hand pick some of our growers’ vineyards and sometimes, we forage for wild fruit in both the wilderness and urban spaces.

Ashanta Wines is currently located in Sebastopol, CA and Los Angeles, as they work with vineyards along the spine of California’s expansive landscape.

THE WINE: 97-year-old Zinfandel was planted on the eastern valley of the Santa Cruz Mountains by Italian immigrants in 1925. The Zinfandel was processed 25% whole cluster and the rest destemmed into an open top fermenter where it fermented for two weeks, then was pressed into french neutral oak where it aged for 11 months.