ATTLEBORO β’ NORWOOD β’ STURBRIDGE β’ SWANSEA
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Terra dβOro Zinfandel 2019 | |
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"There's gold in them thar hills." That's what they said over 170 years ago during the gold rush, referring to the Sierra Foothills. On January 24, 1848, James W. Marshall, a foreman working for Sacramento pioneer John Sutter, found shiny metal in the channel that carries water away from a water wheel for a lumber mill in the western foothills of the Sierra. Today, the gold we see now in the Sierra Foothills, also known as Amador County, is the golden leaves of Zinfandel grapevines at harvest. Welcome to the land of gold or, in Italian, 'Terra d'Oro.' Hey, that would make an excellent name for a winery.
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Amador County is 100 miles east of San Francisco and Napa Valley, in the lower part of the Sierra Foothills. During the gold rush in the 1860s, this was the center of viticulture in California. Apparently, panning for gold is a thirsty business. Within a few decades, there were over 100 wineries in the area known as the Mother Lode, more than any other region of California. Some of the vineyards still exist today, which make up what we refer to as old vines. Amador has always been known as the home to great Zinfandel vineyards. The oldest zinfandel vineyard in the U.S. was planted just four years after the Civil War. Unfortunately, Prohibition came along, and the wineries shut their doors.
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Today Amador makes about 1% of the wines from California, but they are awarded 30% of the gold medals awarded in State wine competitions. The reason why may be that the wines produced here are bold and expressive, which may be the reason they often win more medals compared to less intense wines. Amador gets its versatility from the geological chaos that formed the Sierra Nevada Hills, creating a series of unique meso- and microclimates. These foothills and steep mountainsides generate a range of aspects, so vineyards face all directions, allowing them to absorb sunlight at various times of day to yield complex wines. The dirt forms a patchwork of granite, limestone, loam, sand, and iron-rich volcanic flows with fanciful names like Josephine Mariposa. Elevations are similarly varied, ranging from 600 to over 3,000 feet, creating climatic pockets that are alternately Mediterranean and alpine. It is no wonder that many immigrant winemakers felt at home here.
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Amador's first winery, established after Prohibition, was founded in 1970 by renowned winemaker Cary Gott, and he released the first wines under the Terra d'Oro label in 1973. In 1981, Jeff Meyers joined the team as an enologist, then became the winemaker a year later. Terra d'Oro's early success with Amador Zinfandel and other wines, in particular Italian varietals, were vital in helping re-establish the region's reputation for fine wine. Terra d'Oro quickly gained a reputation for crafting robust, full-flavored wines.
In 1988, the Trinchero family, which had been purchasing grapes from the Amador region for decades, purchased the winery and 240-acre vineyard. Over the years, the family has invested in subsequent vineyards. In early 2000, they completed the construction of a new, state-of-the-art winery at the original winery site, designed to unlock the potential of each acre of Terra d'Oro's vineyards.
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Terra d'Oro now has 800 acres of magnificent, sustainably grown estate vines- including historical, old vine vineyards. Handcrafted from some of Amador County's most historic vineyards, these wines are rich and full of the character and intensity that perfectly captures the essence of this "Land of Gold." As the first new post-prohibition winery in the Sierra Foothills, Terra d'Oro helped return Amador County and Zinfandel to the attention of fine wine drinkers everywhere and revive the Sierra Nevada foothills as one of the best wine-growing regions today.
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Hand-selected grapes from our prestigious Amador vineyards comprise the Terra d'Oro Amador County Zinfandel, the winery's flagship wine. With 93% of the grapes sourced from our own estate vineyards, shallow topsoils, granite hardpan, hot summer days, and cool summer nights make a remarkable home for the winemaker's favorite varietal. Head-trained and spur-pruned, the Terra d'Oro vineyards receive optimal sunlight and deliver a controlled crop.
At Terra d'Oro, the Zinfandel grapes are carefully picked at night and brought to the winery for processing. After fermentation in stainless steel tanks, the wine is aged in a combination of French and American oak (24% new) for 15 months resulting in subtle caramel notes with indications of exotic spice.
The 2019 Terra d'Oro Amador County Zinfandel displays the classic characteristics unique to this region. Enticing aromas of cacao, raspberry jam, clove, cedar, anise, orange zest, Rainier cherry, and warmed cream. This wine boasts an elegant entry with warming spices, pomegranate, and black currant before leading to a savory finish with juicy, round tannins. Pair this wine with eggplant parmesan or grilled lamb skewers with a blackberry reduction.
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Raspberry jam and some dried yet racy strawberries to the nose. Generous and fruity with some opulent sweet fruit on the fresh, medium-bodied palate. Fine, ripe tannins are present and supportive. A well-balanced zinfandel which I would happily drink again! Drink now. James Suckling 91 pts | |
This Week's Wine Insider Offer | |
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Terra d'Orro Zinfandel 2019
It was fun revisiting this balanced Zinfandel with our staff. The nose is a fruit bowl of blue fruit, boysenberry jam, pomegranate, and strawberries. The wine reminded us of jelly donuts or blueberry pop tarts. Balanced acids and moderate tannins keep the fruit flavors alive. The finish is dry, with a moderate length in the finish. A wine to tame the masses because everyone will find something to like about this wine, especially at this price.
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*Sale Price is on 12 or more bottles
$36 Mail In Rebate on 12 bottles
Final Cost is $8 a bottle after MIR
MIR expires 3/23/2023
Wine is packed in a 12-bottle case
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*Wine pricing for these wine promotions are held for two weeks after the email offer.
ο»ΏWe can hold wines in unpaid reserves for two weeks to allow you time to pick up your wine. If it takes you longer than that to pick up your wines, give us a call, and we can process your wine and move it to paid reserves.
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To order, simply send an email to your preferred Yankee Spirits superstore with one of the addresses to the right, along with:
Your Name
So we know who to hold the order for and your name is not always obvious by your email.
Desired Quantity
So we know how much to hold.
How'd you like to pay
Let us know what payment options you'd like...
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Unpaid Hold: We can hold orders as unpaid for the duration of this promotion, but cannot guarantee fulfillment on them.
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Credit Card: Please don't send credit card information via email.
All request are processed during business hours and in the order they are received. We'll confirm your order via email within 48 hours and when it is ready for pickup. Unless otherwise specified, promotional pricing ends two weeks from email send date.
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YANKEE SPIRITS
STORE LOCATIONS
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Pricing is subject to change without notice once this promotion ends in two weeks or when we run out of product. Whichever comes first. | |
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Place your order now with the store contacts above, while you've got all the information at your fingertips.
Cheers!
John Hannum,
Fine & Rare Wine Specialist
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Monday-Saturday
9AM to 9PM
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We reserve the right to limit quantities. You must be at least 21 years of age to purchase/consume alcohol. Please drink responsibly. Not responsible for typographical errors. Rebate quantities are subject to limitation by the manufacturer. These alcoholic beverages may be subject to payment of Connecticut or Rhode Island Alcoholic Beverage Tax and Connecticut Use Tax, and may be subject to seizure as contraband. | | | | |
