Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Ripe, exotic aromas of crushed berries and orange peel. Full body. Dense center palate with a flavorful finish. A big, rich wine, yet fresh and intense at the finish. Old vines – some as old as 1888.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Gnarly Vine Zinfandel Monte Rosso Vineyard is opulently scented of baked raspberries, prunes and fruitcake with wafts of Chinese five spice, potpourri and underbrush. Medium to full-bodied, a racy line of freshness lifts the bold, flamboyant spicy fruit preserves, finishing long and chewy.
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Wine Enthusiast
With an exuberant blackberry nose, this wine is lifted by accents of herbs and earth. Supple tannins support a weighty core of black licorice and currant flavors.
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Wine Spectator
Offers a tight beam of black cherry, stony mineral and spiced herb flavors, framed by fine-grained tannins. Drink now through 2028.
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.