Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
There's a tiny 184 cases of the 2015 Zinfandel Nun's Canyon Vineyard, which offers a big nose of scorched earth, camphor, balsa wood, and exotic spices to go with loads of plum and black cherry fruits. It's ripe, opulent, packed with sweet fruit, and has a clean, dry finish. It's a classic, hedonistic Zinfandel done beautifully.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Medium garnet-purple colored, the 2015 Zinfandel Nun's Canyon Vineyard gives up notes of sautéed herbs, dried mulberries and cranberries, Black Forest cake and Chinese five spice with a waft of dusty soil. Full-bodied and packed with prunes and spice box-inspired flavors, it has plenty of freshness and a chewy frame, finishing a bit warm.
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.
Covering the western slopes of the Mayacamas Mountains, facing the city of Sonoma, Moon Mountain District is one of Sonoma’s newest sub-appellations. Here the well-drained, red volcanic and ash soils produce hauntingly intense red wines, mainly from Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon and other Bordeaux varieties.