Winemaker Notes
This is one of the strongest Old Vine Zinfandel bottlings they have made to date albeit a slightly different blend composition due to one of Mother Nature’s curveballs. The main contrast this year is that one of usual main elements of the blend—Esola Vineyard from Amador County—was picked early for rosé to avoid potential smoke issues from nearby wildfires. As a result, the blend leans more heavily into fruit from Sonoma and Contra Costa counties. Fruit from the great Teldeschi Ranch comprises just over 20% of the blend, followed by Beeson, Sodini, Nervo, Dommen, Pagani, Papera, Evangelho, Pato, Katushas’ and Bedrock—aka, a pretty sweet set of vineyards going into their most entry level bottling. The finished blend is 85% Zinfandel with 7% Carignan, 4% Cinsault and bits and bobs of Grand Noir, Petite Sirah, Alicante Bouschet and other field-blended varieties. As usual, the average vine age is around 80 years old, which makes this truly an “old vine” cuvee. Their goal is always to make a wine that reflects what they love most about Zinfandel in California: to showcase its great fruit but also its spice, energy and freshness. Hailing from a drought year, this wine has an added degree of intensity to it that will make it great for early consumption or a little time sideways in the cellar.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Spry and briary, this Zinfandel is fun to drink, with lively black cherry, licorice and dried sage flavors, which take on richness and cracked pepper accents toward zesty tannins.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Most of the fruit for the 2021 Zinfandel Old Vine comes from Sonoma. Ripe ruby hued, the wine is fresh with ripe berries and white pepper spice, as well as roses. Medium-bodied, with good structure, fresh acidity, and fine tannins, it has a fully dry style. It is an outstanding value and would also be an outstanding wine to pour by the glass. Drink it over the next few years.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2021 Bedrock Wine Co. Old Vine Zinfandel is bright and perky. TASTING NOTES: This wine exhibits aromas and flavors of piquant red raspberries and chalk notes. Serve it with a grilled, rosemary and garlic-accented leg of lamb. Tasted: May 8, 2023, San Francisco, CA)
The winery’s objectives are:
To channel the fruit of ancient vines into powerful, elegant, and distinctly Californian wines.
To spread the gospel of Syrah in California by sourcing fruit from great terroirs throughout the North Coast.
To proclaim the greatness of Sonoma Valley Cabernet Sauvignon by sparing no expense on wines of uniqueness and personality.
To reclaim rose’ from the excesses of saignee and focus on precision, delicacy, aromatics, and food friendliness.
To make fascinating and quixotic white wines from unique sites and interesting varietals.
To dream big but keep production low!
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.