Cline Cellars is a family-owned vineyard and winery, managing 460 hectares of vines in Contra Costa County and Sonoma County, California. Founded in 1982 by Fred Cline, a descendant of Italian settlers in the US, the winery initially took root in Oakley, Contra Costa County. There, Fred cultivated Rhône varieties and Zinfandel on vines planted as early as 1906. In the 1990s, the Cline family relocated their winemaking operations to a 350-acre ranch in Carneros Valley. They embraced sustainable farming practices in 2000 and constructed the largest solar-panelled winery in California. While many in California during the '80s concentrated on Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, Fred Cline recognized the potential of Rhône varieties and Zinfandel in his vineyards.
This luxurious dessert wine is made from from 100 year old unirrigated Mourvèdre vines. The grapes are left on the vine until they have begun to raisin are at the peak of their sugar content producing incredible natural sweetness. This results in a small yield of very concentrated fruit.
The nose is full of sweet black cherry and chocolate notes leading into a rich, fully sweet palate. This is a perfect wine for tricky dessert pairings like Christmas pudding or chocolate mousse.