Feb 242015
 
Carol Shelton Wild Thing Zinfandel 2012, Old Vine Zinfandel, Mendocino County, CA, $19 (S) – Rating 91

Carol Shelton Wild Thing Zinfandel 2012Blended from 83% Zinfandel, 15% Carignane and 2% Petite Sirah creating a rather balanced and fruit forward wine without being overly jammy. Aromas of red fruit, strawberry, raspberry and brown spice. Plush mouth-feel with balanced acidity and smooth tannins. Flavors abound of bing cherry, blackberry, briar, raspberry and ripe strawberry with notes of cinnamon and espresso in the finish. A better food pairing Zinfandel than most. Buy This Wine

 

Dec 102014
 
Dry Creek Vineyards Zinfandel 2012, Old Vine, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County, CA, $24 (S) – Rating 91

Dry Creek Vineyards Zinfandel 2012Very balanced in contrast to some overly jammy style Zinfandels. A blend of 77% Zinfandel (90+year-old vines) and 23% Petite Sirah adding some peppery pop. Robust aromas of dark fruit, plum, blackberry and brown spice. Rich on the palate with balanced acidity and supple tannins. Flavors of blackberry, plum, ripe raspberry and dark spice. An elegantly long finish with plenty of spice and hints of cocoa. Buy This Wine

 

May 142012
 

“A single, great vineyard sight can express itself and be transparent through to a bottle of wine.  You can actually taste the vineyard’s character in the glass.” Jamie Kutch – Kutch Wines Pinot Noir

Wine BlogI’ll admit it; I love single-vineyard wines. There is something about the nuance and singularity that speaks volumes me. When drinking a single-vineyard wine, I like to imagine the vineyard, its rows of vibrant vines offering abundant fruit. Sometimes I’ll even go techie and try to find pictures of the vineyard on Google so I can be even more anchored to the very spot that produced the wine in my glass. If I’ve personally walked amongst the vines of a particular vineyard, I can return with just a tip of my glass and a bit of imagination.

I wanted to learn more about these special wines. But not from the perspective of the wine drinker, I wanted to learn from winemakers themselves. So with the help of a few talented single-vineyard winemakers, here’s what I learned in a nutshell. The winemaker’s ultimate duty to single-vineyard wines compels him/her to draw on the incalculable variations of each vintage to bring forth the true voice and personality of the vineyard. When made well, a single-vineyard wine will convey a very specific sense of place, nuance and art. Obviously not all vineyards produce fruit with enough unique characteristics to be worthy of vineyard designation. Vineyards, like people, all have something to say, but not everything said is worth your attention. Continue reading »