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WTN: 2007 Scherrer Old and Mature Vines Zinfandel

PostPosted: Fri Nov 30, 2012 12:18 pm
by JC (NC)
Alexander Valley, CA Scherrer Vineyard. 14.5% abv. Some of the vines used to produce this wine were planted in 1912 (a century ago!) Deep opaque purple. Shows viscosity. Some dark raspberry and earth notes with a fine grittiness. Penetrates the nasal passages and moves to a long finish. Balanced, without noticeable alcoholic heat. Sipped side-by-side with the Joseph Swan Mancini Ranch Zinfandel from the same vintage, I had difficulty selecting a favorite (slight preference for the Joseph Swan.) Both were far above the more common Zins. I think the Scherrer was earthier and the Joseph Swan was fruitier. The Scherrer grew more mellow the longer it was open. I finished it after four or five days open and it was still going strong.

Re: WTN: 2007 Scherrer Old and Mature Vines Zinfandel

PostPosted: Fri Nov 30, 2012 1:03 pm
by Mark Lipton
JC (NC) wrote:Alexander Valley, CA Scherrer Vineyard. 14.5% abv. Some of the vines used to produce this wine were planted in 1912 (a century ago!) Deep opaque purple. Shows viscosity. Some dark raspberry and earth notes with a fine grittiness. Penetrates the nasal passages and moves to a long finish. Balanced, without noticeable alcoholic heat. Sipped side-by-side with the Joseph Swan Mancini Ranch Zinfandel from the same vintage, I had difficulty selecting a favorite (slight preference for the Joseph Swan.) Both were far above the more common Zins. I think the Scherrer was earthier and the Joseph Swan was fruitier. The Scherrer grew more mellow the longer it was open. I finished it after four or five days open and it was still going strong.


Fred Scherrer is an underappreciated old school CA winemaker. I've liked everything I've tried from him, including his Pinots, no small feat.

Mark Lipton

Re: WTN: 2007 Scherrer Old and Mature Vines Zinfandel

PostPosted: Fri Nov 30, 2012 1:54 pm
by Jon Leifer
longtime fan of Fred's OMV zins..rose fans shd not overlook Fred's rose

Re: WTN: 2007 Scherrer Old and Mature Vines Zinfandel

PostPosted: Fri Nov 30, 2012 3:36 pm
by Diane (Long Island)
We opened a 2006 Scherrer OMV Zin over Thanksgiving weekend and it was enjoyed by everyone. Balance is the key to Scherrer's wines, and he makes an understated and restrained Zinfandel. I was excited to order a 1995 OMV Zin that is being shipped with my latest order that will arrive next week.

Re: WTN: 2007 Scherrer Old and Mature Vines Zinfandel

PostPosted: Sat Dec 01, 2012 11:20 pm
by Craig Winchell
Fred Scherrer was one or 2 years behind me at Davis, so I hear that he is an "old school winemaker" and I think, "What does that make me?" He makes some really good wines. I know, because he purchased the property next to my winery in Sebastopol, and I saw him most every day. I smelled his wines and he tasted mine. I had never seen a picking bin fermentation prior to his moving in (now I see it everyday, as my cellarman does his Shirah Wine Company wines at our location). I never fermented in anything but a tank or a barrel, and he was fermenting in anything he could get his hands on. But his wines were superb, at least in aroma (I couldn't taste them at that time).

Re: WTN: 2007 Scherrer Old and Mature Vines Zinfandel

PostPosted: Sun Dec 02, 2012 9:01 am
by Diane (Long Island)
Jon Leifer wrote:longtime fan of Fred's OMV zins..rose fans shd not overlook Fred's rose


Scherrer, Baudry, and Tempier are my trinity of rose each year.

Re: WTN: 2007 Scherrer Old and Mature Vines Zinfandel

PostPosted: Thu Dec 06, 2012 6:53 am
by Mike Conner
Admirer (and purchaser) of Scherrer's offerings - in particular the zins.

I still have the OMV and Shale Terrace from '97 that I am thinking of opening during the holidays....

Highly recommend his wines (although I haven't tried his rosé).

Mike