Old Vine Zinfandel
Born from the estate’s dry-farmed, head-pruned 120-year-old vines, this Yoakim Bridge Estate wine carries the voice of Dry Creek Valley’s history. A tapestry of dark berry fruit, wild herbs, and peppery spice unfolds with depth and elegance, finishing long and graceful with the enduring character of heritage vines.
In August 2022 Williamson Wines acquired Yoakim Bridge Winery and set to work reinvigorating the 100+ year old Yoakim Bridge Vineyard.
These ancient dry-farmed, head-pruned Zinfandel vines responded to the organic care we delivered to become one of the premium vineyards our family farms throughout Sonoma and Napa Counties.
With these grapes we continue our tradition of integrity in winemaking, producing small quantities of sustainably crafted wines solely for our wine club members to enjoy.
Old Vine is a term used in the wine industry to describe wine made from grapes grown on vines that are considered old. The term is often found on wine labels, and while there is no legal or universally agreed definition of "old", different regions have different standards. In Dry Creek Valley vineyard owners define an old vine vineyard as having vines that are over 50 years old on average.
Dry Creek Valley, just 16 miles long and two miles wide, is home to one of the densest concentrations of old-vine Zinfandel in the world.
After phylloxera destroyed most vineyards in California in the 1890s, some Dry Creek Valley winegrowers replanted their Zinfandel on the pest-resistant St. George rootstock.
Several of these grapevines planted in Dry Creek Valley more than 100 years ago have survived and continue to produce wine today, one of which is the Williamson Yoakim Bridge Estate.
Grape vines can grow for over 120 years. After about 20 years vines start to produce smaller crops, and average yields decrease, leading to more concentrated, intense wines. This is a real old-vine premium wine - food-friendly, cellar-worthy - never generic or boring - appealing to consumers and collectors alike.
