Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
This is a firmly structured and moderately tannic wine intended for rich grilled or roasted foods. Attractive salt and pepper aromas lead to tempting blackberry and strawberry flavors and a full body.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2017 Steele Pacini Vineyard Mendocino Zinfandel shines with the best of them, at an eminently affordable price. TASTING NOTES: This wine brings everything to the table. Enjoy its powerful and attractive aromas and flavors of ripe berries and oak with a grilled, well-marbled ribeye. (Tasted: January 23, 2021, San Francisco, CA)
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 large and diverse appellation within California’s North Coast AVA, Mendocino is home to several smaller sub-regions—most notably the Anderson Valley. This scenic region, with rolling hills covered in redwood forests as well as vineyards, is one of the world’s top producers of certified organically-grown grapes. Due to wide geographical and climatic variation, a vast array of wine styles can be found here.