Winemaker Notes
The 2022 Ancient Vines Zinfandel shows the varietal strawberry character that Zinfandel is known for. Well-balanced and fresh with a touch of raspberry and vanilla make for a very enjoyable glass of wine. Very drinkable now but will age well for 5-7 years or longer.
Accompany this wine with slow-cooked BBQ pork, chicken mole, or spinach mushroom casserole.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
This wine is rich and juicy, with aromas of blackberry, boysenberry, cinnamon, potpourri, dried herbs and vanilla cream on the nose. The flavors on the palate are ripe strawberryraspberry jam, maple, clove and black peppercorn, with a mouthwatering finish.
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Tasting Panel
Many of the dry-farmed vines behind this wine are more than 100 years old, yielding fruit that is quite deeply flavored but not at all rough or astringent. On the contrary, the texture is soft and rounded, with notes of wild strawberry and red raspberry whose ripe sweetness is balanced by ample acidity.
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Wine Spectator
Fruit-forward and jammy, with supple raspberry and blueberry flavors accented by licorice and pepper.
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 large Northern California appellation centered on the San Francisco Bay Area, the San Francisco Bay AVA falls within the larger Central Coast AVA. The smaller appellations of Livermore Valley, Pacheco Pass, San Ysidro District and Santa Clara Valley AVAs fall within the San Francisco Bay boundaries, and all produce high-quality Central Coast wines.