Winemaker Notes
A fruit bowl of black fruits and currant with undertones of anise, fennel, and bramble saturate the nose. An intriguing note of India ink also comes through and is woven into this complex and layered wine. The oak is nearly invisible but provides hints of wood spices and vanilla. The palate is immediately stained with blue and black fruit while the snappy acidity keeps this wine from getting heavy and drives the length. The wine is young and delicious today but holding on for a few years will be rewarding.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Deep ruby-purple, the 2019 Zinfandel Papera Vineyard is pure and classic, with peach and wild berry fruit with accents of potpourri, spices and dusty earth. The full-bodied palate offers surprising depth of flavor and is expertly structured, with an anchoring, grainy texture and loads of refreshing uplift, and it finishes very long and layered with a flourish of spices. It's the stuff of Zinfandel dreams.
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Wine Enthusiast
From a site planted in 1934, this is a brambly, concentrated and inky wine, yet it still shows floral and fresh fruit lift. Cranberry, blackberry and lavender find their way to finishing touches of toasted clove and anise.
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.