A Beverly Hills tasting introduced the wines of Mariah Vineyards to a group of writers recently. Owned by Dan and Vicki Dooling Mariah Vineyards will now be marketed by Brown-Forman Wines.
Mariah Vineyards is located in Mendocino County's newest appellation, Mendocino Ridge. The first non-contiguous appellation in the U.S., it is 36 miles long but all vineyards must be at a minimum of 1,200 feet above sea level.
Vineyards in this appellation are literally "islands in the sky" since they are almost always above the coastal fogs of the Pacific Ocean.
The vineyards of Mariah, located at 2,600 feet, are planted exclusively in zinfandel, merlot and shiraz.
Wine writers at the Beverly Hills tasting had the opportunity to meet owner Dan Dooling, new winemaker Nancy Walker and taste six vintages of Mariah zinfandel. The vintages were from 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995 and 1996. All scored 16 or above on this writer's score card using the Davis system.
Impressive was how different each vintage was in character, aroma and flavors but so consistent in outstanding quality. Current release is the 1996 vintage which is also the first to be made by Nancy Walker.
Nancy Walker previously was with Brutocao Cellars and Fetzer Vineyards.
The 1996 was all that a zinfandel should be--full of rich aromas, complex in the glass but with remarkable smoothness.
Dan Dooling explained that his vineyards have a late season and that continual picking is used for selecting only ripe berries. This means that pickers often must harvest three or four times.
Currently there are eight wine growers in the Mendocino Ridge appellation. It is the eighth appellation in Mendocino County and includes the high country of Anderson Valley.
Back to Table of Contents
Graphic Design by Impact Graphics