Some species are too porous for barrel-making. A local logger provided the staves, which then were air-dried at the winery and shipped to Calistoga, Calif., for cooperage. The barrel proved tight, and Hinchcliffe was on his way to producing the first Mendocino wine that is both native grown and aged. The maverick winemaker realizes that people will look at his Nativo Zinfandel extremely critically. When asked to characterize the quality that Oregon oak imparts, he described it as a spicy, mineral flavor.
French oak is more perfumed and less aggressive.
Tasters were divided in their preferences. The wines are similar, and both have an attractive leanness with an intriguing mix of flavors. The Nativo has a heavier dose of wood because it is intended as a showcase for the Oregon oak. If I had to choose between the two wines, I would give the edge to the regular Mendocino Zinfandel. It has an understated elegance, with chocolate and berry in the aroma and tannins that will relent with a another year or so in the bottle.