The producer of today’s wine, Ted Glennon, has seen every facet of the wine business—as a sommelier, a wholesaler, an educator, and now, a wine producer. With “Sabroso,” he’s telling a story he feels isn’t told enough—that of the incredibly rich history and diversity of California wine.
Ted is a fifth-generation Californian and feels strongly that California wines should be representative of the local and historical culture. And when it comes to vineyards steeped in history and ‘old-school’ sensibility, it doesn’t get more representative than the legendary Enz Vineyard, in the Gabilan Mountains near Monterey. Enz is the only vineyard in the Lime Kiln Valley AVA, one of a string of Gabilan wine zones that includes Chalone and Mount Harlan. This area is rich in limestone and the source of some of the state’s most ‘Burgundian’ Pinot Noirs (Chalone; Calera), but Enz reaches further back—to a time when newly arrived immigrants were planting all sorts of grapes, the identities of which were often lost through the generations. Meaning “tasty” in Spanish, “Sabroso” is sourced from two blocks in this old vineyard: 75% is “Cabernet Pfeffer,” a field-blended planting of European vines whose identity is still a mystery; and 25% is ‘own-rooted’ Zinfandel. But it’s not about the blend, it’s about the place, to which Vöcal pays homage with this exuberantly fruity, whole-cluster-fermented delight. It is tasty, there’s no doubt about that—reminiscent of the ethereal reds of France’s Jura. Want a fresh take on what California’s all about? This is it!
To point up the freshness and energy imparted by the vineyard site—which feels the cooling influence of the Monterey Bay through a break in the Gabilans—the Vöcal team ferments Sabroso in concrete tanks using 100% whole grape clusters. This Beaujolais-style carbonic maceration lasts nine days. It ages just eight months in neutral oak barrels, resulting in a wine defined by brightness and lip-smacking refreshment. In the glass, the 2018 Sabroso is a light, see-through ruby with hints of magenta and pink, with a perfumed nose of ripe fruits and florals that would confound the best blind tasters: The Zinfandel comes through on the palate with notes of purple fruits and flowers (figs, beetroot, lavender) along with blue and black plum, wild berries, underbrush, and black pepper. Sabroso is medium-bodied and spicy, with a refreshing finish. It’s a wine that offers a counter-narrative to the one that centers on all the big, flashy California reds notching gaudy scores from the critics. Pour Sabroso into Burgundy stems and pair it with some homemade carnitas tacos and you’ll never look at California wine the same again. Cheers!