Carol Shelton Wines 2022 Monga Zin Cucamonga Valley

Carol Shelton is a pioneer of California winemaking, having been among the first women to earn an enology degree from UC Davis in 1978, after which she mentored under legends like Andre Tchelistcheff and Robert Mondavi. Based in Sonoma County, she is widely regarded as the most awarded winemaker in the United States, having been named Winemaker of the Year on ten separate occasions. Today with her own Carol Shelton Wines label she focuses on identifying unique vineyard sites that express a specific sense of place, few wines demonstrate this better than the Monga Zin.

Monga Zin is sourced from the Lopez Vineyard in the Cucamonga Valley, a region about 70 miles inland from Los Angeles that was once the largest wine-growing area in California, far surpassing Napa and Sonoma in acreage a century ago. Today, this historic region is almost entirely lost to urban development, but the Lopez Vineyard remains a preserved relic. The vines were planted in 1918 and are dry-farmed "pygmy" bush vines that grow only about 18 inches tall in sandy, desert-like soil. Because these ancient vines are not irrigated and must struggle for water in the high heat of the inland valley, they produce a miniscule yield of only 0.2 tons per acre (for perspective, "grocery store" brands usually get 8-10 tons per acre yields, $100 Napa Cabs 2-4 tons). This extreme struggle creates a level of concentration and a specific "desert spice" profile that is entirely distinct from the fruitier styles found in Northern California.

The 2022 Monga Zin is a "humongous" and mouth-filling wine that opens with concentrated aromas of deep black cherry, dried cranberry, and orange zest. The palate is defined by an exotic array of Moroccan and Asian spices—specifically Chinese five-spice, star anise, and cumin—layered over notes of cocoa, vanilla-caramel oak, and graham cracker. It features a creamy yet tangy mouthfeel with firm, sturdy tannins and a long, lush finish that suggests it will age gracefully for up to 20 years.