Radio-Coteau Lemorel Zinfandel 2017
-
Spirits
Wine &
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
The 2017 Lemorel Estate Zinfandel exhibits rich, dark berry fruit that belies its cool coastal origins. Robust notes of blackberry compote and ripe blueberry leap from the glass and instantly charm the palate. Layered hints of sweetgrass and baking spices accompany the crushed fruit, all enhanced by a delicate flintiness woven throughout. The unctuous entry is balanced by structured tannins and bright acidity, adroitly leading to a crisp, lingering finish. The 2017 Lemorel is exciting and powerful, with an extensive cellaring potential befitting its noble origins.
Professional Ratings
-
Wine & Spirits
This comes from the oldest vines on Sussman’s estate, a zinfandel block planted in 1946. It’s silky and pungently smoky when you pull the cork, tasting of bright red raspberries. As it takes on oxygen, it develops complexity and layers of flavors. A rare and delicious far-coast zinfandel to decant now or cellar.
Other Vintages
2018-
Spirits
Wine &
-
Spirits
Wine &
-
Spirits
Wine &
Eric Sussman first heard the expression radio coteau from a friend while living and working in Burgundy. More than a preference for how you discover these wines, the name reflects a commitment to capturing reflections of soil, seasons, people and place. In 2002, Eric established Radio-Coteau, focusing on the north coast vineyards of western Sonoma County and Anderson Valley. With their benchland locations, well-drained soils, exposure by capricious marine air and fog, these sites host grapes naturally suited to their surrounding elements. This natural selection afforded Eric an opportunity to refine his Old World experiences while working with New World grapes. For more than a decade, he has strived to balance nature’s expression with a delicate, but disciplined human touch in these handcrafted wines.
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 vast appellation covering Sonoma County’s Pacific coastline, the Sonoma Coast AVA runs all the way from the Mendocino County border, south to the San Pablo Bay. The region can actually be divided into two sections—the actual coastal vineyards, marked by marine soils, cool temperatures and saline ocean breezes—and the warmer, drier vineyards further inland, which are still heavily influenced by the Pacific but not quite with same intensity.
Contained within the appellation are the much smaller Fort Ross-Seaview and Petaluma Gap AVAs.
The Sonoma Coast is highly regarded for elegant Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and, increasingly, cool-climate Syrah. The wines have high acidity, moderate alcohol, firm tannin, and balanced ripeness.