Winemaker Notes
Bright aromas of dark cherry and black raspberry. Upfront fruit appeal supported with underpinnings of complexity and slight white pepper spice. Soft entry develops into warm, full mid-palate. Finish strikes ideal balance of tannins, fruit and acidity.
Pair with herb-rubbed meats, spicy cuisine and hearty pastas.
Professional Ratings
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Connoisseurs' Guide
Big, very ripe and long on essential blackberry fruit, Seghesio’s Cortina bottling is a generously filled wine that succeeds on the strength of both balance and richness. It is quite full in body but is always alive, and its ample acidity affords it plenty of room for improvement with age. It shows a touch of last-minute heat as big Zins are wont to do, but, given a few years in which to fully knit, it promises to be an exceptional companion to a rich ragout of sausages or spicy pork stews.
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Wine Spectator
Dark and intense, yet well-polished, with floral blackberry and pepper aromas and concentrated black cherry, bitter chocolate and black olive flavors that finish with muscular but ripe tannins. Needs time. Best from 2015 through 2022.
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Wine Enthusiast
As always, Seghesio’s Cortina is a rich, complex Zinfandel. It captures Zin’s briary, brambly, spicy personality, with dense, wild forest-berry fruit, yet manages to be elegantly compact and even Cabernet-like in its tannin structure. A very classy wine that deserves a spot on the best wine lists.
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.
Home to a diverse array of smaller AVAs with varied microclimates and soil types, Sonoma County has something for every wine lover. Physically twice as large as Napa Valley, the region only produces about half the amount of wine but boasts both tremendous quality and variety. With its laid-back atmosphere and down-to-earth attitude, the wineries of Sonoma are appreciated by wine tourists for their friendliness and approachability. The entire county intends to become a 100% sustainable winegrowing region by 2019.
Sonoma County wines are produced with carefully selected grape varieties to reflect the best attributes of their sites—Dry Creek Valley’s consistent sunshine is ideal for Zinfandel, while the warm Alexander Valley is responsible for rich, voluptuous red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are important throughout the county, most notably in the cooler AVAs of Russian River, Sonoma Coast and Carneros. Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Syrah have also found a firm footing here.