Winemaker Notes
Certified organic, ungrafted vines over 130 years old; a "grand cru" site of Paso Robles. Transcendent. Lovely sweet red fruits, loads of spice and pepper, violets, chalk, even a hint of pineapple grass on the nose. White stones and wild strawberries in a lovely pas de deux on the palate, with vibrant energy and finesse. What a knockout.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Broad-shouldered and powerfully structured yet detailed and stylish, with deep flavors of blackberry and cherry accented by bittersweet chocolate, orange peel and fruitcake spices that gather tension and richness on the slightly firm finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Planted on calcareous shale soils, the 2022 Zinfandel Ueberroth Vineyard leads with a compelling, brooding nose of iron, tree bark, autumn leaves, scorched earth and a deep core of just-ripe wild red cherry fruit. The palate is dense and saturated with immense concentration but has the framing to hold it without going out of balance. The finish combines punchy, ripe fruit flavors with a fine, dusty tannin structure lined with vibrant, mineral-laced acidity. This wine does an admirable job of straddling monolithic density and lifted vibrancy and deserves several years in bottle to unwind and further come into itself.
Rating: 94+ -
Vinous
The 2022 Zinfandel Ueberroth Vineyard is dark and deeply spiced, but also not quite as imposing as it can be in some years. Wild cherry, cedar, tobacco, dried herbs, incense and orange zest all run though this heady, mid-weight Zinfandel. The 2022 is silky and lifted. This is all charm.
Barrel Sample: 91-93
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.
The largest and perhaps most varied of California’s wine-growing regions, the Central Coast produces a good majority of the state's wine. This vast California wine district stretches from San Francisco all the way to Santa Barbara along the coast, and reaches inland nearly all the way to the Central Valley.
Encompassing an extremely diverse array of climates, soil types and wine styles, it contains many smaller sub-AVAs, including San Francisco Bay, Monterey, the Santa Cruz Mountains, Paso Robles, Edna Valley, Santa Ynez Valley and Santa Maria Valley.
While the Central Coast California wine region could probably support almost any major grape varietiy, it is famous for a few Central Coast reds and whites. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel are among the major ones. The Central Coast is home to many of the state's small, artisanal wineries crafting unique, high-quality wines, as well as larger producers also making exceptional wines.