Winemaker Notes
A bouquet of floral notes and earthiness give way to a palate bursting of mixed berry cobbler. Raspberry, blackberry and blueberry notes are layered with white pepper and baking spices. This luscious wine dances on the palate and finishes with fine tannins and balanced acidity.
Pair with rich meats like rack of lamb and duck, especially with herb-based sauces and pastas such as gnocchi with pesto. Firm sheeps’ milk cheeses, such as pecorino or pepato also compliment this wine.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2016 Zinfandel Cortina offers more complexity in its earth dark fruits, underbrush, Caramelized cherries, and spice. Rich, medium to full-bodied, with ripe tannin and a solid sense of purity and freshness, this is a classy yet pleasure bent Zinfandel that will keep for a decade.
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Wine Enthusiast
This 100% varietal wine is juicy in flavors of blackberry and cherry, with an expansive nature to the well-integrated midpalate. It offers a bold depth of fruit and spice flavors that sit well in the full-bodied frame.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2016 Zinfandel Cortina is medium ruby in color and youthfully coiled on the nose, taking its time to release scents of sliced nectarine, rhubarb, boysenberry and blueberry accented by dried flowers, warm earth, garrigue and loads of spiciness. The palate is still tight and reticent to show its juicy fruits. It has a soft texture and very pleasing, juicy acidity, finishing long. I suspect this will reward another couple of years in bottle. 2,458 cases produced. Rating: 92+
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Wine & Spirits
Andy Robinson makes this wine from a vineyard planted in 1972, where the gravelly soils and morning fog produce a clean and elegant zin. It’s a wine with sage-like spice lifting the deeper flavors of red and purple berries. Bright and brash, gentle and harmonious, this feels integrated and lasting.
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Wine Spectator
Brooding and appealingly briary, with dark cherry, fresh sage and smoked pepper flavors that persist toward broad-shouldered tannins. Best from 2020 through 2027.
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Decanter
Exuberant, showing pure, dark plums and prunes, black chocolate, ripe blackcurrants, cigar box and a touch of treacle.
Established in 1895, Seghesio Family Vineyards produces benchmark Zinfandels that honor five generations of winegrowing leadership, and share the heart of Sonoma County and their Italian heritage. Seghesio Family Vineyards encompasses more than 300 acres of estate vineyards in the Alexander, Dry Creek and Russian River Valleys – that also represent a significant amount of Old Vine plantings that are more than 50 years old and up to 125 years old.
With a passionate belief that wine is made in the vineyard, Seghesio Family Vineyards pairs more than a century’s worth of experience in the vineyard with labor-intensive farming techniques that reduce yields, increase quality and ensure wines of outstanding purity and balance. True to the winery’s heritage, Seghesio Family Vineyards is focused mainly on Zinfandel and a handful of Italian varieties. Andy Robinson is the winemaker.
Seghesio Family Vineyards has always thrived to protect the environment and their communities. It has become clear to us that the emission of Green House Gases (GHG) not only is the biggest environmental threat, but also that the majority of environmental advances are tied to their ability to emit less GHG. They have embarked on a fundamental transformation of how they grow grapes and make wines and have joined international organizations such as the Porto Protocol and the International Wineries for Climate Action (IWCA). They have committed to reduce their GHG emissions by 50% by 2030 and 100% by 2050.
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.