Banfield Vineyard 1880 Block,
Russian River Valley
Zinfandel
The crown jewel of the vineyard is the 1880 Block of Zinfandel. As the name implies, the 5-acre, dry farmed vineyard was planted in 1880 by the Banfield family and is still vibrant and healthy today. The oldest vines in the block were planted “on their own roots” while subsequent vines that have needed replanting have been planted on St. George rootstock. Most vineyards planted in this era would have been a field blend of many Italian varities but the 1880 Block is different in that it’s planted almost exclusively to one, unique clone of Zinfandel. Part of the secret of vineyard’s age is sandy loam soils in which the vines are planted. These soils do hold moisture but require the roots to dig deep to find moisture. Additionally, Phylloxera (a vine louse that feeds on the root system of grape vines) has a difficult time living in sandy soils and therefore isn’t able to overtake the vineyard. Yields are very low from a vineyard this old and the grapes produced from such ancient vines have a depth and concentration that cannot be matched by young vines. At its age, the 1880 Block is one of the oldest vineyards in Sonoma County and a true, living piece of California’s viticultural history.
1880 Zinfandel Block just after a winter prunning
Fog blanketing the 1880 Zinfandel Block