Sean Minor H. Mynors Zinfandel 2013
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2015-
Wilfred
Wong
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Wilfred
Wong
Meet Sean
Born in Kansas, Sean Minor was surrounded by agriculture, hard work, and the values responsible for the unwavering work ethic of Midwestern families. His career in wine began after a formal education in finance from Arizona State University where he also met his wife, Nicole. After moving to California, where Sean began his fine wine career working for Napa Valley’s Beaulieu Vineyard, he knew that the wine industry was the right place for him. He furthered his education at U.C. Davis in Viticultural and Enology.
Our Winemaker
Will Bucklin continues to be our consulting winemaker, as he collaborates with Sean during the winemaking process of all of our wines. Will is a graduate of UC Davis’ prestigious enology program and started his career with an internship at the historic and world-renowned Chateau Lafite Rothschild. Following stints with Thomas Hardy in Australia and Navarro Vineyards in Mendocino, he worked with Sean at King Estate in Oregon. Together, Will and Sean work closely with the vineyards we contract, and their collaborative efforts create the consistent wines we sell today.
Sean was recruited by King Estate Winery in Oregon to manage the Estate, where he learned firsthand the importance of site-specific viticulture. After leaving King Estate, Sean led Benton Lane Winery, rounding out his cool-climate viticulture experience. Sean and his family then headed back to California for the opportunity to manage Renwood Winery and enhance his experience growing and marketing some of the Golden State’s best Zinfandel and Syrah. Four years later, he founded Sean Minor Wines.
California is a winemaking colossus; by itself it is the fourth largest producer in the world. Red wine accounts for 56% of the total by volume, and red grapes 63% of total acres planted. In addition, a number of California red wines are heralded as being among the most prestigious and sought-after wines in the world.
While the state’s incredibly diverse geography, soils and microclimates allow for a wide array of styles, the key factor unifying California red wine is the abundance of sunshine and a long, consistent growing season. This leads to well-developed fruit marked both by impressive ripeness and balancing acidity.
The state’s most famous red wine region, of course, is Napa Valley, where Cabernet Sauvignon reigns as king. But California boasts a wealth of other impressive appellations. The much larger and climatically varied Sonoma County also produces world class California Cabernet, along with wonderful examples of California Pinot Noir and Zinfandel.
Fine versions of Cabernet and Zinfandel hail from Paso Robles as well, which is also gaining fame with Rhone varietals like Syrah and Grenache. As for Pinot Noir, terrific examples can be found from AVA’s such as Anderson Valley, Carneros, Santa Lucia Highlands and Sta. Rita Hills. Wineries in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties are making wonderful Syrahs, and the Sierra Foothill appellations are proving to be an experimental hotbed, with Italian and Spanish varietals employed to great effect.
This of course is a mere sketch. The subject of California red wine is as deep and broad as an ocean, and absolutely a joy to explore!