Winemaker Notes
An engaging nose of sun-ripened peach skin with tones of dark blue fruits & flowers as well. The palate is teeming with ripe berries and stone fruits, with the Duarte’s signature suave, mouth-watering texture. Excessively easy to drink
immediately, the wine showed stellar from the very first pour.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2018 Zinfandel Duarte has a deep ruby-purple color and bombastic aromas of dried coconut, turned earth, chocolate and lush black fruits. The palate is medium-bodied but firmly framed, with rustic flavors, good freshness and an uncomplicated finish.
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 Northern California appellation centered on the San Francisco Bay Area, the San Francisco Bay AVA falls within the larger Central Coast AVA. The smaller appellations of Livermore Valley, Pacheco Pass, San Ysidro District and Santa Clara Valley AVAs fall within the San Francisco Bay boundaries, and all produce high-quality Central Coast wines.