Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2015 Zinfandel Jack’s Cabin Vineyard sports a deep garnet-purple color and notes of blueberry compote, blackberry pie and preserved plums with hints of anise, cardamom, black pepper and oolong tea. Medium to full-bodied, this is a relatively fresh and elegantly styled Zin, with taut, vibrant fruit and a perfumed undercurrent supported by grainy tannins and lively acid, finishing long.
Rating: 94+ -
Wine Spectator
Brooding and powerfully built, with bold and briary wild berry aromas and potent smoky plum, licorice and dark bitter chocolate flavors. The tannins are big but ripe. Best from 2019 through 2025.
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.
High elevation vineyards—800 to 2,100 feet—on well-drained soils of red and brown clay loam, gravel and large rock outcroppings produce low yields of intense, high-quality fruit. Surrounded by Northern Sonoma County and overlapping Dry Creek Valley in its northwest corner, the Rockpile AVA produces some of California most powerful Zinfandel, Petit Sirah, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon based wines.