Growing Philosophy
The Old Ghost Zinfandel represents the finest Old Vine Zinfandel Klinker Brick produces each year. The name was derived from the Delta Tule Fog which comes up from the ground in the wintertime in Lodi, keeping the vineyards moist and cool while providing a ghostly appearance in the vineyard. With yields less than one ton to the acre, these 100+ year ancient vines produce thicker-skinned grapes, giving this wine its ethereal, concentrated qualities. At Klinker Brick, our minimalist approach has proven year after year that if you don’t force the Old Ghost in the vineyards or in the winery, the wine will give pleasure for many years to come.

Vineyard Highlights
Burney Mettler Vineyard (1916) – This 109-year-old vineyard was planted on its own rootstock, head trained, and dry farmed. As the water table has diminished over time, drip irrigation was installed in the 1960s; however, the vineyard is irrigated only in times of extreme heat or drought conditions. The vineyard continues to produce excellent fruit vintage after vintage with yields around one ton to the acre and still has plenty of energy left in its old age.

Vintage Notes
The 2022 growing season began with ideal weather conditions, complete with early rains followed by a crisp spring and warm summer. As a result, grape clusters were smaller, increasing flavor concentration and leading to ideal acidity. The region experienced a mild heat wave toward the end of August, creating some urgency to get select varietals into the winery; however, Cabernet was not impacted. Harvest continued into November, at which point we harvested our final Cabernet lots. All varietals were brought in with top quality marks, and optimal characteristics persisted through fermentation and bottle aging, making 2022 an exemplary vintage.

Winemaking
Grapes are hand harvested and carefully sorted before gentle de-stemming and crushing directly into French and American oak barrels. Fermentation in oak lasts 14 days, during which time the fruit is exposed to oak early in its lifecycle, creating subtle oak flavors and exposure to oxygen in order to soften tannins. Post-fermentation, the wine is allowed to macerate on the skins for 10 days, leading to its opaque ruby red color. The wine is then racked off the lees and allowed to age in oak for 18 months.

Taste
The Old Ghost represents the best Zinfandel that Klinker Brick produces each year. An intense nose of black pepper and botanicals leads to full-bodied flavors of juicy pomegranate and ripe cherry layered with herb aromas. True to the Klinker Brick style, this wine is bursting with acidity and concentrated notes of bright berries and dark chocolate. Layers of complexity lead to a core of medium tannins with a long, richly textured finish.