2007 Schulz Cellars Mount Veeder Lampyridae Vineyard Zinfandel

Mission Codename: Flying Lightning

Operative: Agent White

Objective: Revisit our friends at Schulz to acquire their famed Lampyridae Vineyard Zinfandel

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Schulz Cellars

Wine Subject: 2007 Lampyridae Vineyard Zinfandel

Winemaker: John and Michele Schulz

Backgrounder:

The Lampyridae Vineyard is located in Napa’s famed Mt. Veeder District. Located on the east slopes of the Mayacamas mountains, the region is best known for its higher elevation, volcanic ash soil, generally cooler climate and vineyards of low yield.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Dark purple with garnet and ruby reflections through its dark clear core. Along the edges the deep color lightens ever so slightly but the depth remains. When swirled thin legs of varying speeds ring the side of the glass.

Smell – A classic and well developed bouquet despite this wines relative youth. Sweet aromas of baking spice including nutmeg, cloves and pepper are framed with herbal bramble and licorice. Ripe black and red fruit, mocha and sea-salt caramel round out the lovely and complex nose of this wine.

Feel – Initially cool, smooth and dry in the attack, then the firm grained tannins and youthful bright acidity kick in creating a chewy quality on this full-bodied wine with a touch of spice that lingers through to the finish.

Taste – Youthful with good density of flavor with red raspberry and blackberry with notes of the spice found in the nose. Herbal bramble, fresh cut oak, black licorice and a touch of mocha add real depth.

Finish – Lingering fruit, spice, oak and herbal notes framed by the youthful and chewy texture invite sip and after sip.

Conclusion – The 2007 Schulz Cellars Lampyridae Vineyard Zinfandel is a lovely classic California Zin. Amazing on the nose, a chewy mouth feel, and classic flavors make this a wine for those who really love this distinctly California varietal. This wine also shows the true character of the wines of Mt. Veeder. Rich, intensely concentrated and complex. While this Zinfandel is relatively young, enjoy it now with anything you through on the grill or cellar for years to come.

Mission Report:

For today’s mission report, we are pleased to present our original interview with John Shulz, when we featured his wonderful 2006 Fortunati Syrah. For the record, we like today’s wine, John’s Lampyridae Zinfandel, even better

Here is a transcript of Agent White’s original conversation with John Schulz:

AGENT WHITE: Hi John, a pleasure to meet you.

JOHN SCHULZ: Agent White! I just got a call from Agent Red, telling me to keep an eye on my wallet during our meeting!

WHITE: Curse Agent Red!

JOHN: Just kidding, White. I know how Red like to rib you, so I thought I’d jump in, too.

WHITE: (sigh)

JOHN: Hey, its really good to meet you. I heard from Agent Red that you love my 2006 Fortunati Vineyard Syrah.

WHITE: Finally, Agent Red got something right… Yes, your Syrah is really impressive. So is your history in the wine business. I’ve been looking into your background and you’ve really had a great career.

JOHN: I have been really lucky.

WHITE: Iowa is a long way from California’s wine country. After you attended U of Iowa, what got you interested in wine?

JOHN: After I graduated in the 80’s, I moved to California to work in the restaurant business. Naturally, I was exposed to many incredible wines. I quickly realized that I wanted in to the biz.

WHITE: … so you spent time working as a cellar rat in the Central Valley, right?

JOHN: Wow, you have great intel!

WHITE: We try. After paying your dues by hauling hoses, cleaning tanks and moving palettes of wine, you found your way into a sales role at Franciscan Winery. There, you rose to a position of prominence, all the while learning all you could about winemaking as well.

JOHN: Go on…

WHITE: You caught the winemaking bug, yourself, and started making a few barrels for fun. During this period you joined von Strasser – which is a Wine Spies favorite, by the way – as their director of sales. After crafting some great ‘garage’ wines (and some not so great ones) on your own, you dialed in your winemaking skills, and decided to launch your own label.

JOHN: Impressive. That you know so much, that is.

WHITE: So, Schulz Cellars was born and your first commercial vintage was a 2005 Syrah. Your wines, made from fruit grown at some of the finest vineyards, were met with critical acclaim. Deservedly so. Your 2006, as I said, is very impressive. You are the sole winemaker, correct?

JOHN: That’s right.

WHITE: As a winemaker, how do you approach winemaking?

JOHN: I know that agent Red is fond of asking, “Are you a white lab coat winemaker, or a naturalist winemaker?” I would have to say that I take the more natural approach. Not to sound overly cliche, but great wines really do start in the vineyard. I also strive to handle the wine minimally. This means nature runs her course and I don’t use any odd chemistry or additives in my wines.

WHITE: That’s best. Speaking of the vineyard, the grapes in your Fortunati Syrah are grown by your old High School classmate, Gary Luchtel.

JOHN: Yeah, it was a coincidence that Gary followed a similar career path. Those grapes that come from our 2 acre block in Gary’s Fortunati vineyard (in the Oak Knoll District) are simply amazing. During the growing season, I take care of the block entirely. Watering decisions, pruning, and the like, are all up to me.

WHITE: How did Fortunati fare during this odd 2008 growing season?

JOHN: Really well, in fact. Where other wineries experienced really harsh losses, there was zero crop loss at Fortunati. We picked early this year and the grapes were fantastic. Clusters and berry size were down from normal, but that only makes for more concentrated flavors. We got less juice this year, but the 2008’s should be great.

WHITE: You are to be congratulated on this wine, John. The last time you enjoyed a glass, did you eat a meal along side?

JOHN: Yes! In fact, we had braised short ribs and root veggies. This Syrah is a great food wine – very austere with great backbone and structure. It pairs well with most anything I have thrown at it.

WHITE: I’m looking forward to my next glass. Don’t tell Agent Red, but I’ve swiped his sample bottle! (evil laugh)

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of the Mt. Veeder can be seen in this satellite photo.