Schrader Cellars Zinfandel Train Wreck Vineyard Vieux OS Old Vine California 2004 750ml

Vieux-OS, French for "old bones," was the old-vine Zinfandel label from Fred Schrader of Schrader Cellars, better known for his cult Napa Cabernets. The 2004 "Train Wreck" bottling comes from a single planting of venerable, head-trained Zinfandel vines and carries a California appellation. Old vines like these give small crops of concentrated fruit, and the warm 2004 season produced a ripe, generous style. Expect blackberry, plum and raspberry jam with black pepper, sweet spice and a touch of earth on a full-bodied frame. Now more than twenty years old, it is a mature curiosity best opened soon, ideally with grilled meats or hearty stews.