Winemaker Notes
Medium garnet-ruby, a fascinating nose of underbrush, red fruits, and a hint of black-olive tapenade. Surprisingly savory and "old world" for a Zinfandel. If they grew Zinfandel in Chateauneuf-du-Pape, one can imagine it would smell something like this. On the palate, medium-full bodied with striking minerality. The wine finishes gently tannic with flavors of cherries and freshly tilled earth. Quite age-worthy (an opened bottle for this tasting note continued to improve over six days, showing no signs of oxidation), Carlisle suggests putting this wine away for three years and then enjoying the show for the next ten.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
This is an abundantly earthy wine, full of meat and black and white pepper. Cedar, pencil shavings and big-boned black cherry add to the intrigue, with a hint of black olive and substantial tannin that suggest aging. Enjoy best 2025 through 2028.
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.
Perhaps the most historically significant appellation in Sonoma County, the Sonoma Valley is home to both Buena Vista winery, California's oldest commercial winery, and Gundlach Bundschu winery, California's oldest family-run winery.
It is also one of the more geologically and climactically diverse districts. The valley includes and overlaps four distinct Sonoma County sub-appellations, including Carneros, Moon Mountain District, Sonoma Mountain and Bennett Valley. With mountains, benchlands, plains, abundant sunshine and the cooling effects of the nearby Pacific, this appellation can successfully produce a wide range of grape varieties. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gewürztraminer, and most notably, Zinfandel all thrive here. Ancient Zinfandel vines over 100 years old produce small crops of concentrated, spicy fruit, which in turn make some of the Valley's most unique wines. These can also be made as “field blends” (wines made from a mix of grape varieties grown in the same vineyard) along with Petite Sirah, Carignan and Alicante Bouschet.