Carol Shelton 2022 "Monga" Zinfandel

The Wine

Carol Shelton is a veteran in the world of California wine, now one of the old guards dedicated to the protection of Old-vine Zinfandel vines. Her wines can be described as having a wild soul inside a polished persona.

Her “Monga” Zin is sourced from the historic Lopez Vineyard in Cucamonga Valley. Planted in 1918, the vineyard is dry-farmed, and head-trained in deep sand - the only soil type providing a natural resistance to the dreaded phylloxera root louse that ravaged grape vines across the New World and Old World alike.

Her wine opens with aromas of baked blackberries, black pepper, and dried sage, with hints of cocoa nib, sandalwood, and sun-warmed earth. These themes continue onto the palate - plush dark fruit layered with spice and savory depth. There’s a dusty minerality and a touch of citrus peel that keeps the wine from being cloying.

Aged in American oak (but just 25% new), the wine shows supple tannins and a long, spicy finish typical of such barrels. The wine is full-bodied but balanced—Zin with swagger and soul. Earthy and generous, this Zin is unmistakably Californian.

The Winery

Carol Shelton is a legend in California winemaking—one of the first women to lead a major cellar, and now a champion of site-driven, small-lot Zinfandel from old vineyards. Based in Sonoma County, Carol sources fruit from historic vineyards across California. When you uncork one of Carol's wines you can be assured it was grown and crafted with minimal intervention, fermented with native yeasts and reflects the unique character of old vines and forgotten terroirs. She is one of the last speed bumps between these old grape vines and strip mall developers offering constant enticement to these family growers.

“Monga” is a tribute to Cucamonga’s sandy soils and century-old vines—a wine that honors the past while drinking beautifully in the present.