Kenwood Jack London Vineyard Zinfandel 2011
-
Spirits
Wine & -
Enthusiast
Wine
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
The wild berry and spice flavors of this rich and elegant Zinfandel are a perfect complement to tomato sauce dishes as well as grilled fish and steak.
Blend: 90% Zinfandel, 10% Syrah
Professional Ratings
-
Wine & Spirits
Blink and you might miss this wine: its rosy, relatively pale color doesn't call attention to itself. At first the fruit feels light and a bit brittle, but the tannins turn more lithe with air, carrying woodland aromas that seem to put you right in the vineyard, amid Sonoma Mouintain's bay laurel, madrone and mossy stands of live oak, the fruit bright red and cheerfully pure. Try it with wood-roasted wild mushrooms.
-
Wine Enthusiast
Grab this Zin now, it’s that good a value. Dry, medium-bodied and spicy, it has luscious wild blueberry, cherry, briary herb, vanilla, cola and toast flavors, wrapped into silky tannins for drinking now. In short, this 2011 bottling rocks. Editor's Choice.
Other Vintages
2018-
Suckling
James -
Enthusiast
Wine
-
Panel
Tasting
-
Wong
Wilfred
-
Spirits
Wine &
-
Spirits
Wine &
-
Enthusiast
Wine
-
Enthusiast
Wine
-
Enthusiast
Wine
-
Enthusiast
Wine
-
Spirits
Wine &
-
Enthusiast
Wine
-
Enthusiast
Wine
-
Spectator
Wine
Located in the heart of the Sonoma Valley, Kenwood Vineyards is dedicated to producing premium wines truly representative of Sonoma County’s world-class vineyards.
Kenwood Vineyards was established in 1970 in the former Pagani Brothers Winery, a historic cellar dating back to 1906. Thoroughly refurbished and modernized, the facility now boasts more than 125 stainless steel fermenting tanks and large oak uprights, and 20,000 small French and American oak barrels, all devoted to Kenwood Vineyards’ “small lot” style of winemaking.
In addition to the 22-acre vineyard surrounding the winery, Kenwood Vineyards sources grapes from dozens of vineyards – many farmed sustainably, using natural soil amendments and pest controls whenever possible rather than chemicals - in Sonoma County’s best appellations, including Russian River Valley, Alexander Valley, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma Valley and Sonoma Mountain. Each lot from each vineyard is kept separate throughout the winemaking process, enabling the winemaker to bring it to its fullest potential. This “small lot” or “cuvee” style of winemaking also enables the winemaker to draw on an exceptionally broad “palette” to assemble wines that showcase classic character, subtle complexity and superb balance. As a result, every Kenwood Vineyards wine – whether Table Wine Series, Sonoma Series, Reserve, Jack London Vineyard or Artist Series – is consistent in quality and consistently delicious.
Unapologetically bold, spice-driven and jammy, Zinfandel has secured its title as the darling of California vintners by adapting well to the state's diverse microclimates and landscapes. Born in Croatia, it later made its way to southern Italy where it was named Primitivo. Fortunately, the imperial nursery of Vienna catalogued specimens of the vine, and it later made its way to New England in 1829. Parading the true American spirit, Zinfandel found a new home in California during the Gold Rush of 1849. Somm Secret—California's ancient vines of Zinfandel are those that survived the neglect of Prohibition; today these vines produce the most concentrated, ethereal and complex examples.
Home to a diverse array of smaller AVAs with varied microclimates and soil types, Sonoma County has something for every wine lover. Physically twice as large as Napa Valley, the region only produces about half the amount of wine but boasts both tremendous quality and variety. With its laid-back atmosphere and down-to-earth attitude, the wineries of Sonoma are appreciated by wine tourists for their friendliness and approachability. The entire county intends to become a 100% sustainable winegrowing region by 2019.
Sonoma County wines are produced with carefully selected grape varieties to reflect the best attributes of their sites—Dry Creek Valley’s consistent sunshine is ideal for Zinfandel, while the warm Alexander Valley is responsible for rich, voluptuous red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are important throughout the county, most notably in the cooler AVAs of Russian River, Sonoma Coast and Carneros. Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Syrah have also found a firm footing here.