Well, another mystery solved! A while back, Kath and I had posted some tasting notes on a pair of vineyard designated Zinfandels from the Turley label, one of which was sourced from the Duarte Vineyard. Jesse’s Vineyard, a smaller plot located within the borders of the Duarte site has, for years, provided fruit to Rosenblum and now, the Rosenblum founder’s new venture, Rock Wall Wine Co. But we never could pinpoint the location of the Duarte site.

Until a couple of weeks ago, when I ran into Tom Del Barba during harvest at one of his own neighboring properties, and had the site confirmed by Rock Wall winemaker, Shauna Rosenblum. Turns out that we’d been driving past two big old-vine vineyards on busy Laurel Road for almost a year: One is Tom’s; he told me that the eastern one is Duarte.

The Duarte Vineyard story is one that’s being retold a lot in Oakley. According to Tom Del Barba, Joe Duarte had been farming the land for years, when local developer Seeno Homes offered him big dough for the vineyard, intending to rip out the vines and build McMansions (there’s a big development already built just behind the vineyard). Well, the housing collapse put the boots to that plan, so rather than let the land sit fallow, Seeno leases the (currently) intact Duarte/Jesse’s vineyard site out to a local grower and county land commissioner named Dwight Meadows. Dwight has vine interests in several parcels countywide (In fact, Shauna Rosenblum’s oh-so-tasty Montepulciano mentioned here months ago sources from younger vines planted in neighboring Brentwood and managed by Dwight Meadows). Completing the small-town vibe is the fact that Dwight is married to the former Carla Cutino, whose family ran the eponymous tire shop in town, and whose given name graces Carla’s Vineyard, located beside the Kmart. “Carla’s” is yet another of Rosenblum Cellars’ vineyard designates.

Jane! Stop this craaaaazzzzy thiiiiiiing!

Tom Del Barba professed to being a little mystified as to why, when Seeno abandoned immediate plans to build, Joe Duarte didn’t step up to reclaim growing rights via a lease. Over the years, Joe has worked as a real estate agent and owner of a mobile home community. Could be that, after years of farming the land, and a nice payout, he saw his future.

And, perhaps, heaven help us, the future of Oakley’s old vines.

Hey, the Duarte name lives on, thanks to some committed winemakers who love the fruit, and keep slapping the designation on the label. Kath and I have, in the cellar, a 2008 Turley Duarte Zin, as well as Zins from the main property’s Jesse’s Vineyard block by boutiques Rock Wall and Virgo Cellars. Notes to come. Duarte fruit figures in a wine we had the other night.

“Saldo” 2008 California Zinfandel is made by Dave Phinney of Napa’s Orin Swift Cellars, from fruit sourced, as the appellation (and Iberian name: “saldo” can mean anything from “what’s on hand” to “from here and there”) implies, from sites all over the state. Here, Duarte and Evangelho vineyards are representin’ CoCo. It’s a deep, dark, almost opaque plum color, with a dark, earthy nose of bacon and black stone fruit. On the palate, it’s pretty weighty, with a tight coil of black pepper spiciness and tannin. There’s 8% Syrah and half-again Petite Sirah. Give it 15 minutes in the glass before it starts to strut.