This dark ruby colored “Wild Thing Zin” from Carol Shelton opens with a light menthol and black cherry bouquet with just a hint of leather. On the palate, this wine is light to medium bodied and it has a nice balanced. The flavor profile is a gentle black cherry and black pepper blend with a touch of cedar, cinnamon, and spice. The finish is dry, tingly, and a bit long. This is a food friendly Zin would pair well with barbecue chicken or pulled pork.
“Wild Thing” is named for its attitude and uninoculated or “wild” yeast ferment is used to 
create it. Black raspberry fruit, vibrant and alive in both the nose and mouth, nice oaky-smokiness, hit of black pepper. Smoothly textured in mouth, the finish is long and lushly jammy fruit—dangerously good!
Carol Shelton is widely cited as the most awarded winemaker in the United States. She has won countless medals for her wines and has been honored as Winemaker of the Year numerous times. After years of working with some of the industry’s top winemakers and wineries, Carol continues to win awards and accolades for premium Zinfandels produced under her own brand, Carol Shelton Wines.
Under the tutelage of Ann Noble, the author of the Aroma Wheel, Carol worked hard and threw herself into her enology studies at UC Davis. One of Carol’s projects on yeast strains proved that different strains produce different flavor characteristics in wine. This early knowledge of yeast strains reflects today in the delicious, full-flavored wine Carol produces.
Note: Let Carol Shelton’s “Wild Thing” breath a little before enjoying. Take your time while enjoying it with a nice meal, Italian would be nice but don’t be afraid to make it a steak. Give the time to breath and watch for this little gem evolve in the glass as you do.
Other Zin’s we have tasted recently along California Wine Trails:
Perry Creek ‘08 ZINMAN Artezin ’09 Peterson ’09 Bugay ’09 Storybook Mountain ’08 Carol Shelton ’07 ‘Wild Thing’
