Winemaker Notes
This is the wine that will convert you into being a Zin-lover (if you're not already). Gorgeous garnet color with dark fruit aromatics abounding. For this wine, it is all about the red fruit holding its own with dark fruit - cherry, pomegranate, raspberry, blackberry, and boysenberry. Once the wine gets more air, wispy herbal accents - oregano, thyme, sage. Flavors echo the nose and bring in cherry cola, milk chocolate with the subtlest hint of black pepper. Vibrant, the brisk acidity amplifies the fruit for a refreshing finish. There's even a mild wet stone minerality that excites your senses.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2017 Zinfandel Anderson Ranch is 100% Zinfandel. Medium ruby-purple, it offers broody blackberry jam, apricots, red berry preserves and dried leaves with a spicy, floral undercurrent. The medium-bodied palate is layered, grainy and fresh with great nuance of flavor and a long finish.
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Wine Spectator
Plump, with brooding blackberry fruit accented by dried sage and smoked pepper notes, building toward appealingly briary tannins. Best after 2021.
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 multifaceted and highly reputable sub-region of Sonoma, Dry Creek Valley is responsible for a wide range of wine styles—both red and white. One of the smallest AVAs in California, Dry Creek Valley has a winning combination of ideal geography and climate. Fertile, well-drained soils create concentrated varietal character while long, warm days, bookended by cool nights, allow grapes to reach full phenolic ripeness and balance. The warm and welcoming appellation is home to a number of family-owned vineyards and wineries that place a strong emphasis on sustainable farming practices.
Zinfandel reigns supreme here and still produces in a great number of very old vineyards—often 100 years old or older. These old vines create a powerful, voluptuous and sultry wine unlike those of any other region. Sauvignon Blanc, the valley’s signature white grape, also performs exceptionally well. Many other varieties grow comfortably here, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache and Syrah. Petite Sirah is often found in blends with Zinfandel.