Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2016 Zinfandel Monte Rosso Vineyard is medium garnet-purple in color and opens with notions of raspberry tart, kirsch and red currant jelly with suggestions of tobacco, mossy bark and dusty soil plus a waft of white pepper. Big, concentrated and powerful in the mouth, it has a solid frame of chewy tannins and oodles of freshness, finishing long and earthy.
-
Jeb Dunnuck
This Grand Cru site in the Moon Mountain AVA, the 2016 Zinfandel Monte Rosso Vineyards is all destemmed Zinfandel that spent 15 months in new and used French and American oak. Its translucent ruby/purple color is followed by a medium bodied, fresh, bright, old-school Zinfandel that has notable complexity, plenty of sweet fruit and spice, ripe tannins, and a spine of acidity that keeps it fresh and lively. It's another Zinfandel that's going to age nicely. Rating: 91+
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.
Covering the western slopes of the Mayacamas Mountains, facing the city of Sonoma, Moon Mountain District is one of Sonoma’s newest sub-appellations. Here the well-drained, red volcanic and ash soils produce hauntingly intense red wines, mainly from Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon and other Bordeaux varieties.