Winemaker Notes
Aromas of blackberry, dark cherry, violets and tobacco leafs. Flavors of strawberry, raspberry and gravel. Mouthfeel is polished, medium-bodied and lingering acidity.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Just a quintessential Russian River Valley Zinfandel, the 2019 Zinfandel Russian River Estate reveals a semi-translucent ruby/purple color to go with a wonderful perfume of blueberries, plums, flowery incense, cedarwood, and loads of spice. These all carry over to the palate, where the wine is medium-bodied and has a seamless layered texture, no hard edges, and just wonderful purity of fruit. You can’t go wrong with this wine, which remains an outstanding Zinfandel vintage after vintage. It's drinking beautifully today and should be drinking nicely at age 7 or 8, if not a decade.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2019 Zinfandel from Russian River Valley has a medium ruby-purple color and graphite-streaked red and blue berry fruits on the nose plus hints of floral perfume. The palate is soft, juicy and appealing, with spicy, plush fruit and a long, uplifted finish.
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 standout region for its decidedly Californian take on Burgundian varieties, the Russian River Valley is named for the eponymous river that flows through it. While there are warm pockets of the AVA, it is mostly a cool-climate growing region thanks to breezes and fog from the nearby Pacific Ocean.
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir reign supreme in Russian River, with the best examples demonstrating a unique combination of richness and restraint. The cool weather makes Russian River an ideal AVA for sparkling wine production, utilizing the aforementioned varieties. Zinfandel also performs exceptionally well here. Within the Russian River Valley lie the smaller appellations of Chalk Hill and Green Valley. The former, farther from the ocean, is relatively warm, with a focus on red and white Bordeaux varieties. The latter is the coolest, foggiest parcel of the Russian River Valley and is responsible for outstanding Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.