Winemaker Notes
Blend: 89% Zinfandel, 11% Mixed Black Varieties (Alicante Bouschet, Aubun, Grand Noir, Petite Sirah, Peloursin, Trousseau noir, Syrah, Petit Bouschet, Cinsault)
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
I loved the 2016 Zinfandel Montafi Ranch, another complex blend based largely on Zinfandel. Fresh plums, blueberries, violets, and fresh flower notes all give way to a plump, rounded, beautifully textured effort from Mike that never puts a foot wrong. Shining for its elegance and purity, yet still packing rocking levels of fruit, drink it over the coming decade or more.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A blend of 89% Zinfandel mixed with about eight different other varieties, from vines planted in 1926, the medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2016 Zinfandel Montafi Ranch offers up a pronounced crème de cassis and blueberry pie nose with touches of camphor, cardamom and dusty soil. The palate is big, rich, full and fruity with loads of earthy notions and a plush texture, finishing with great freshness.
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Wine Spectator
Dynamic and appealingly briary, with plush raspberry, bay leaf and orange peel flavors that build richness toward polished tannins. Drink now through 2024.
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Wine & Spirits
The two blocks at Montafi Ranch where this wine grows are mostly zinfandel (89 percent), mixed with varieties including alicante bouchet, grand noir, petite sirah, trousseau noir and cinsault. They combine in a muscular wine, a big bruiser that tends to its alcohol with rocky tannins, both components wrapped into a dark raspberry flavor. Drink it now with braised short ribs if you enjoy powerful zins, or leave it to mellow for ten years in the cellar.
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.
A standout region for its decidedly Californian take on Burgundian varieties, the Russian River Valley is named for the eponymous river that flows through it. While there are warm pockets of the AVA, it is mostly a cool-climate growing region thanks to breezes and fog from the nearby Pacific Ocean.
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir reign supreme in Russian River, with the best examples demonstrating a unique combination of richness and restraint. The cool weather makes Russian River an ideal AVA for sparkling wine production, utilizing the aforementioned varieties. Zinfandel also performs exceptionally well here. Within the Russian River Valley lie the smaller appellations of Chalk Hill and Green Valley. The former, farther from the ocean, is relatively warm, with a focus on red and white Bordeaux varieties. The latter is the coolest, foggiest parcel of the Russian River Valley and is responsible for outstanding Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.