Opolo releases 2020 Mountain Zinfandel
Release marks 21st vintage from Paso Robles estate winery
– Opolo Vineyards this week released its 2020 Mountain Zinfandel, marking the 21st consecutive release of the wine. Made predominantly with fruit from the westside coastal mountains of Paso Robles, the 2020 vintage, “embodies the trademark Mountain Zinfandel style: rich, bold, fruit-forward and always lively through the finish.”
“We made a big bet on Paso Robles Zinfandel from the very beginning of Opolo, and the Mountain Zinfandel has been our flagship ever since,” said winery co-owner Rick Quinn.
“Zinfandel has been a mainstay in our region since the 1800s, and we’re proud to honor that heritage as a specialist in Paso Robles Zinfandel,” said co-owner David Nichols.
This wine comes predominantly from three of the most heralded sub-AVAs of Paso Robles—Willow Creek District, Adelaida District and Templeton Gap. The fruit from the Willow Creek District comes from two of Opolo’s estate vineyards: the main Opolo Estate as well as Dove Pond Vineyard.
Under the direction of winemakers James Schreiner and Chris Rougeot, the individual 2020 Mountain Zinfandel sites were hand-picked and fermented in stainless steel tanks and small open-top fermenters, all with attentive phenolic management to ensure optimal mouthfeel.
After fermentation and settling, the lots were racked to French (90-percent) and American (10-percent) oak barrels, inclusive of 30 percent new oak. In the winter, the lots with the most complimentary characteristics were blended and returned to barrels for seamless integration. After 10 total months of barrel aging, Schreiner and Rougeot assembled the final blend to create this “latest chapter in the story of the Opolo Mountain Zinfandel.”
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