Winemaker Notes
Planted in 1890, the Fanucchi-Wood Road Vineyard is one of the oldest vineyards in Sonoma County. These vines continue to make a wine of depth and character that is truly special. Black fruits with hints of brambles and star anise combine with the signature stone fruit character. Full-bodied and lively on the palate, the concentration and depth are balanced out well by the freshness of the acid. Classic boysenberry flavors give way to notes of anise and citrus to round out this complex and layered beauty.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
A deeper, purple-toned hue, the 2022 Zinfandel Fanucchi-Wood Road Vineyard is much more savory and brooding in its personality, with notes of licorice, apricot, blackberry, forest herbs, and scorched earth. Including small doses of Alicante and Petite Sirah, it’s full-bodied and fills the palate with ripe, velvety tannins, but its structure is balanced with its rich extract, and it has a long, lush finish with even acidity and a refined feel.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2022 Zinfandel Fanucchi-Wood Road Vineyard comes from vines more than 100 years old. It has kaleidoscopic scents of raspberry, strawberry, apricot, fennel, iron and allspice. The medium-bodied palate is highly concentrated and expressive. Its chalky tannins add a touch of rusticity that helps temper its hedonistic fruit, and it finishes long and layered.
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Wine Spectator
This bruiser is concentrated and powerfully built, with brooding blackberry, briar patch and white pepper flavors that build toward potent tannins. Best from 2025 through 2033. 131 cases made.
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 standout region for its decidedly Californian take on Burgundian varieties, the Russian River Valley is named for the eponymous river that flows through it. While there are warm pockets of the AVA, it is mostly a cool-climate growing region thanks to breezes and fog from the nearby Pacific Ocean.
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir reign supreme in Russian River, with the best examples demonstrating a unique combination of richness and restraint. The cool weather makes Russian River an ideal AVA for sparkling wine production, utilizing the aforementioned varieties. Zinfandel also performs exceptionally well here. Within the Russian River Valley lie the smaller appellations of Chalk Hill and Green Valley. The former, farther from the ocean, is relatively warm, with a focus on red and white Bordeaux varieties. The latter is the coolest, foggiest parcel of the Russian River Valley and is responsible for outstanding Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.