In order to recreate the style and structure of the former G.B. Crane Vineyards wines, we began using grapes from famous Napa Valley vineyards, such as Morisoli in Rutherford and Milat Vineyard in St. Helena, in 2014. These are truly wonderful vineyards that can be called the "disciples" of Crane's Disciples. We continue to search for famous vineyards that will inherit Crane's quality, and this time we were fortunate to find these vineyards. We will continue to search for vineyards of this quality, but our ultimate goal is to use grapes from these vineyards to create "disciples" of Crane's blends.
This wine is full of aromas of cranberry, cherry, lead pencil, and the redwood forest floor of Mendocino. On the palate, it exudes a bright, lively character with notes of ripe raspberry, red fruit, and subtle toasty oak. The wine is long with soft, delicate tannins and seductive vanilla nuances.
It is very rare for someone to rise to stardom in a short time in the wine industry. Dave Finney launched Orin-Swift Cellars in 1998, including its flagship wine, The Prisoner, and made his name known around the world. With its unique, dark label and impressive flavor, The Prisoner brought attention to Zinfandel blends that had not previously been noticed, and was listed in Wine Spectator's Top 100 from 2005 to 2009. Finney sold the Prisoner brand to Funeis Vintners in 2010, and in the spring of 2016, it was acquired by Constellation, one of the world's largest wine companies. Finney continued to oversee production at Orin-Swift Cellars, but sold the brand to E&J. Gallo Winery at about the same time. Apart from the brand, which has grown rapidly, Finney, along with two other members who started OrinSwift and a Napa winemaker, embarked on a new project in 2012. This began with acquiring a small 8-acre vineyard in St. Helena just a few days before the start of harvest.
This vineyard, which still retains the gravel and soil that washed away from the Mayacamas Mountains over 100 years ago, was first owned by George Beldon Crane (GB Crane) in 1885, who cultivated many varieties including Zinfandel in a "mixed black" method (cultivating many varieties of red wine), which was popular at the time. This method allows for the creation of unique blends that make it almost impossible to produce wines that taste the same, even from a single vineyard. The winery's name comes from this method. About four acres of the original vines planted by Crane still remain, and have been carefully protected by the successive owners for nearly 130 years. As the new owners, Finney and his team want to firmly inherit the history and traditions of this vineyard.
Finney and his team, who were originally committed to making wines from old vines, released a Zinfandel blend, "El Coco'", and Cabernet Sauvignon using grapes from this special field. The label, like Prisoner, expresses Finney's unique world and uses a motif from Spanish painter Francisco Goya's "Queviene el coco" (Japanese title: Look, the ghost is coming).
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