Maitre de Chai Stampede Zinfandel, Clements Hills, USA 2022

Maître de Chai (May-TRUH de Shay) translates to keeper of the cellar, or the person responsible for the development and aging of wine. By extension, the humble cellar master is the person responsible for the management of the winery.

Established in 2012, Maître de Chai is the personal project of Marty Winters and Alex Pitts. Our aim is to craft wines of exceptional quality and value that express the unique character of their vineyard origins. We source grapes from unique and distinct single vineyards that are impeccably farmed here in California. From vine to bottle, the inherent qualities of the land and the distinct personality of each site are central to our endeavor.

As our name implies, we care for the wines in the cellar. We defer to nature, limiting our intervention. We taste and we wait, allowing the wines to develop and speak for the places in which they are rooted.

The 2022 Zinfandel Stampede Vineyard is fabulous. It is sourced from a site in Lodi planted in the 1920s. Pliant and supple, with gorgeous balance, the 2022 impresses right out of the gate. The combination of vibrant fruit and light to medium-bodied structure makes for an absolutely compelling Zinfandel. There is a purity to this wine that is so striking. The body and textural feel reminds me of wines from the 1950s and 1960s that I have tasted, naturally as mature wines.