Kirschenmann Vineyard Zinfandel
⏳ Drinking Window
2022 - 2030
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted duck, grilled pork chops, chanterelle mushroom risotto
✨ Technical Specifications
The Kirschenmann Vineyard Zinfandel from Bedrock Wine Co. is a masterclass in the elegant, perfumed side of Lodi Zinfandel. Planted in 1915 on its own roots, this historic vineyard is located in the Mokelumne River AVA, situated on a cool peninsula of land surrounded on three sides by the river. Owned by famed viticulturist Tegan Passalacqua, the ancient vines thrive in deep, silica-rich sandy soils that naturally protect them from phylloxera. Unlike the heavy, jammy style often associated with the region, Kirschenmann produces an ethereal, high-toned wine. It is celebrated for its pale ruby hue, striking perfume of rose petals, wild strawberry, and white pepper, and a delicate, almost Pinot Noir-like structure. Winemaker Morgan Twain-Peterson MW employs native yeast fermentation and gentle aging in primarily neutral French oak to preserve the vineyard's signature clarity, bright acidity, and mineral tension.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 2007 by Morgan Twain-Peterson MW—later joined by partner Chris Cottrell—Bedrock Wine Co. began in a converted chicken coop with an urgent viticultural ethos: preserving California's precious heritage vineyards. The winery works closely with ancient, multi-varietal field blends across diverse terroirs, including volcanic, alluvium, granitic, and decomposed limestone parcels spanning Sonoma Valley, Contra Costa County, and the Central Coast. Central to the estate's identity is the historic Bedrock Vineyard, originally planted in 1854, which achieved Regenerative Organic Certification. Bedrock champions dry farming, minimal intervention, and historic head-trained vines. In the cellar, Twain-Peterson employs spontaneous native yeast fermentation, whole-cluster inclusions, and neutral wood, studiously avoiding chemical adjustments or excessive extraction. Beyond its legendary red heritage bottlings, Bedrock crafts benchmark whites and rosés—including the perfumed Compagni Portis Heirloom White, crystalline Wirz Vineyard Riesling, and artisanal expressions of Bien Nacido Chardonnay and Ode to Lulu Rosé—each presenting remarkable tension, saline minerality, and profound historic authenticity.
🍇 Grapes
100% Zinfandel