Winemaker Notes
This 2015 has thick brambly blackberry fruit with pepper, anise, clove, and other exotic spices.
Professional Ratings
-
Wine Enthusiast
Hardly a run-of-the-mill wine, this potent liquid exudes tobacco and flint aromas that join with wood smoke, cocoa and blackberry flavors to make it dramatic and spicy. Full body and firm tannins build great structure to pair with indulgent proteins and give it the stuffing to age.
-
Wine Spectator
Combines a burly rusticity with structure and focus, offering vibrant raspberry, white pepper and grilled sweet anise flavors.
-
Wine & Spirits
Full and voluptuous in its red raspberry plumpness, this heads straight into mineral tannins, leaving a spicy and dynamic impression to the flavors. It’s rustic and savory, with a balsamic-like volatility that points up the tannins. Tame it in a decanter, then serve it with roast venison.
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.
