Winemaker Notes
This Old Vine Zinfandel is a great expression of fresh strawberry the varietal is known for, while at the same time possessing complex flavors of spice and vanilla. The wine has excellent balance and delivers a lot of flavor and finesse.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
The Cline Family invested in organic farming and old vine vineyards early in the game. Now, they have many holdings of old vine material, which allows them to offer consumers well-made wines at reasonable prices. This wine is a traditional old vine Zinfandel with fruit concentration, dark sweet fruits, spice, and florals on the nose; the palate features dark plum, maple, vanilla cream, espresso, mocha shavings, and grippy tannins on the finish. Aerate and enjoy with BBQ chicken wings.
Best Buy
California is a winemaking colossus; by itself it is the fourth largest producer in the world. Red wine accounts for 56% of the total by volume, and red grapes 63% of total acres planted. In addition, a number of California red wines are heralded as being among the most prestigious and sought-after wines in the world.
While the state’s incredibly diverse geography, soils and microclimates allow for a wide array of styles, the key factor unifying California red wine is the abundance of sunshine and a long, consistent growing season. This leads to well-developed fruit marked both by impressive ripeness and balancing acidity.
The state’s most famous red wine region, of course, is Napa Valley, where Cabernet Sauvignon reigns as king. But California boasts a wealth of other impressive appellations. The much larger and climatically varied Sonoma County also produces world class California Cabernet, along with wonderful examples of California Pinot Noir and Zinfandel.
Fine versions of Cabernet and Zinfandel hail from Paso Robles as well, which is also gaining fame with Rhone varietals like Syrah and Grenache. As for Pinot Noir, terrific examples can be found from AVA’s such as Anderson Valley, Carneros, Santa Lucia Highlands and Sta. Rita Hills. Wineries in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties are making wonderful Syrahs, and the Sierra Foothill appellations are proving to be an experimental hotbed, with Italian and Spanish varietals employed to great effect.
This of course is a mere sketch. The subject of California red wine is as deep and broad as an ocean, and absolutely a joy to explore!