Carol Shelton Karma Zinfandel 2012
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Wilfred
Wong -
Robert
Parker
Product Details
Winemaker Notes
Blend: 80% Zinfandel, 14% Alicante Bouschet, 6% Petite Sirah
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
Do you believe in "good karma?" I certainly do. When I tasted the 2012 Carol Shelton Karma Zin, my pen and notebook reacted with pure pleasure. This is a super-delicious Zin that just coats the palate with berry goodness, sweet oak and savory spices. Loaded with excellent complexity, this one delivers on the palate. I would pair this with a thin-crusted pizza with two toppings: arugula and prosciutto. Drinking quite well now; will improve over the next half-a-dozen years. (Tasted: July 5, 2016, San Francisco, CA)
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Displaying a more saturated dark ruby/purple color, the 2012 Zinfandel Karma Zin Bastoni Vineyard is not as open-knit or lush as the Lingenfelder cuvée, but it offers lots of blackberry fruit intermixed with hints of earth, oak and spice. Medium to full-bodied, ripe and pure, with good concentration, it can be drunk over the next 5-7 years.
Other Vintages
2011-
Wine
Enthusiast
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Wine
Enthusiast
In 2000 Carol and her husband Mitch Mackenzie, a former software engineer, launched their own brand – Carol Shelton Wines. Faced with the opportunity to create her own identity and focus on whatever varietals she wanted, Carol chose Zinfandel.
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.