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“Live Oak” in the Twilight Zone
When Matt Cline first heard the news, he was dumbfounded. After all, the vineyard the apartment developer planned on razing was one that many on the coast believed to be the Zinfandel's crowning ancient vine achievement. Planted in 1885 by Italian and Portuguese immigrants, the 125-year-old vines at "Live Oak" never eked out more than one tiny berry cluster per shoot -- rarely more than 1.5 tons to the acre. Known for its absolutely massive concentration, silken texture and signature core of luscious boysenberry, "Live Oak" stood tall in a Zinfandel hierarchy that included Ridge's "Geyserville" and Ravenswood's "Dickerson." Now, it seemed -- for nothing more than crass profit -- the John Deeres were fueled up, and Live Oak's vines were ticketed for a dump truck.
Erin Cline, Matt's wife, told us that her husband rarely gets sick. But that morning, when he jumped into his truck, heading southeast from Napa, she said Matt's complexion was an odd shade of green. "He couldn't eat," Erin said. "He just drank a cup of black coffee he probably shouldn't have drunk and walked out the door like a zombie. Had he not been wearing work boots, you would have thought he was going to a funeral. And I guess in a way, he was."
Matt said he drove quickly, but not quite fast enough. When he passed Mac's Old House, he could hear the machinery. The Live Oak Vineyard was just 10 acres. By the time that patch of pure Delhi beach sand came into view, the better part of eight had already been ripped out, leaving nothing but a field of mangled, old vine torsos. That's when Matt realized he shouldn't have skipped breakfast.
And that was it, or so we thought until the fall of 2011, when Matt called us the night before we were to checkout of Meadowood for an 11:30am flight out of Oakland. Cline insisted that we stop in for some 8am scrambled eggs, bacon, a mug of piping hot java, and a couple oversized Riedel glasses, filled with old vine Zinfandel. One stem held the marvelous 2009 Zinfandel "Evangelho" -- one of the highest rated old vine Zins in WineAccess history -- which some of you have in your cellars. But if the "Evangelho" was a head-turner, the second glass was the knee-bender. There was no label on that bottle. Just some magic marker scribble, which we were almost sure read, "Live Oak 2010."
Deepest purple black in color, with lavish boysenberry/violet aromas, splashed with crème-de-cassis. We didn't need the magic marker to recognize the attack. Massively concentrated on entry, with signature boysenberry concentration, velour-like texture, and the briary density and silken chewiness that speaks only of "Live Oak." But as has always been the case with these century-and-a-quarter-year-old vines, it would be the finish that stole the show -- wonderfully vibrant, with dusty, supple tannins, and plenty of low pH persistence.
What gives? How could Matt propose a déjà vu Zinfandel from a vineyard that had been unceremoniously ripped out 7 years before? Was this the Twilight Zone?
Matt explained. "Eight acres were ripped out, but two -- the ones on the side -- were spared. It's all planted with 10-by-10 spacing. There used to be 760 plants, but one section wasn't as sandy as the rest, and little by little, Phylloxera did those vines in. Now there are just 680 or so. It took me five years to get my hands on those last two acres. Matt shook his head that morning at the breakfast counter. "I only get a ton and a half an acre, so it doesn't really add up. But after seeing what I saw that morning, I had to do it. I couldn't let it go."
Very little fruit came off "Live Oak" in the fabulously cool 2010 vintage in Oakley. Most is ticketed to Cline's mailing list and the tasting room in Clarksburg.
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Tasting Notes
2010 Three Wine Company Zinfandel Live Oak Contra Costa County
"Black and blue to the edge, with lavish boysenberry/violet aromas, splashed with crème-de-cassis. Massively concentrated on the attack, with signature boysenberry concentration, velour-like texture, and the briary density and silken chewiness that speaks so eloquently of Live Oak. Despite the almost overwhelming opulence, the 125-year-old vine structure and Delhi sand reigns it all in with supple, dusty tannins and marvelous low pH vibrancy. Drink now for the sheer hedonism or age for up to 7 years on a cool cellar."
-- WineAccess Travel Log
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