Red - Zinfandel

Armida Maple Vineyards Zinfandel 2019 is harvested on 10 separate days throughout a three week span. Varying ripeness in each lot of wine displays different flavors. Combination of American, French, and Eastern European Oak Barrel aging. Medium to full bodied, with structure and texture to match many dishes. Dark black fruits are balanced with savory spices. The seductive finish isn’t cloying and sweet, but rather refined, lush and succulent, and the integrated tannins and great balance of savory and spice will continue to gain in complexity over the next fifteen years.

Now in their 25th bottling of ‘Old Vines’ Zinfandel they realize this wine is not only about an enjoyment of the senses but also a tribute to the magical old vines located around them in California. The 2019 Old Vines Zinfandel is sourced from two incredible old vine vineyards. The main source comes from old friends, the Luvisi family, whose grapes were planted in 1908 and has been the building block of our Old Vine Zinfandel since the beginning. The second vineyard is the historic Del Barba vineyard located in the delta town of Oakley and has own-rooted, dry farmed Zin grapes that were planted in 1910. This 2019 vintage wine displays the classic aromas of old vine zinfandel. It is very aromatic with notes of ripe boysenberries, blackberry pie, licorice, cinnamon, and sweet spices. On the palate, it is flashy and expressive with flavors of wild berries, currant, and mocha. This multi-dimensional, complex Zin exhibits unparalleled flavor concentration and character. Each vineyard block was harvested and fermented separately.250 cases

“I am incredibly proud of this wine.  I have said it here before but it bears repeating—even though this is one of the least expensive wines we make, in many ways it is the most important.  First, it is the one Bedrock wine that trickles out to most markets, so if someone gets introduced to our wines, there is a good chance it is this one.  As such, it has to be reflective of the style we place value on.  Second, this is the wine that allows us to rehab old vineyards by giving us a place to put the fruit while we upgrade farming, pruning, and soil health; at an average of 80 years of age, these lovely old vines appreciate the attention.  Third, we now farm over 50% of the fruit that goes into this bottling, which allows us to make the hard farming decisions (dropping fruit, picking in multiple passes, etc.) to ensure we get the quality we need.  Fourth, it is a statewide blend of vines, which means we can flex towards the strengths of a vintage.  Fifth, we want this wine to spread the gospel of Zinfandel from California, and as such this sees fruit from great sites such as Evangelho, Bedrock, Nervo Ranch, Teldeschi Ranch, Sodini and Pato Vineyard.  The 2020 is a blend of 85% Zinfandel filled out with Mataro, Grenache, Alicante Bouschet, Carignan, Petite Sirah and scant amounts of the many other varieties that can be found in California’s older, multifarious vineyards. The 2020 Zinfandel Old Vine offers a more savory, darker fruited, spicy style and has loads of character. Blackberries, plums, cedary incense, flowers, and loamy soil all define the nose, and it has medium-bodied density and depth, ripe tannins, and outstanding length. -Morgan Twain-Peterson. Rich and supple, this is an explosion of pure, decadent fruit. Floral huckleberry and Chinese five-spice powder aromas open to layered blackberry, dark chocolate and licorice flavors that linger.

I am always impressed by what people did before the wine world.  Here’s two sisters – Mary and Nadine Roy who owned and operated a radiology business in Illinois and now have been running Capo Creek Ranch for the last 4 years. Mary Roy is the mother of six and previous owner/lead physician of Midwest Center for Advanced Imaging, specializing in MRI and Women’s Imaging. Nadine Roy was a co-owner and executive director of that business and has now been certified as a sommelier and works alongside her sister, the winemaker. 

This estate old vine zinfandel from Dry Creek Valley is full of juicy fruit flavors dominated by dark cherry, black raspberry & pomegranate. Red licorice and a touch of spice from choice oak barrels balance it nicely and adds a complexity that makes every sip a delight. 350 cases produced.

Gold Medal in the 2021 SF Chronicle National Wine Competition

The name of the Carol Shelton Karma Zinfandel 2016 was bestowed in gratitude for the many gifts of good Karma received in life, whatever the source.  When positive energy is put forth in hard work mixed with integrity, the giver is rewarded with success, the fulfillment of a dream. Quite lively and fragrant with ripe blueberry, raspberry and blackberry fruits, tart pomegranate and red Jolly ranchers! Cedar box, brown spices- nutmeg/cinnamon, cherry cola, dark chocolate, a soft whiff of violets, creamy vanilla oak, kick of pepper spice. Very complexly layered weaving of fruit and spice, uber-dense and deep—wow! Rich in mouth, bright berry fruit tang like a wonderful berry cobbler, good structure for aging, a bit chewy in its youth. 235 cases produced.

77% Zinfandel blended with 12% Alicante Bouschet, 8% Petite Sirah 3% Carignane

Gold Medal

The Carol Shelton Old Vine Mendocino Zinfandel 2017 is a treasure. Grown on the benchlands and slopes of mountainsides — this 60 plus year old vine Zinfandel was named for these wild- looking vines and also for the uninoculated, or “wild,” yeast ferment that was used to create it. Aromas of black cherry, ripe plum and raspberry fruit combine with a hint of graphite, cigar box, and vanilla-oak baking spice loveliness. Smoothly textured in mouth, and the palate is very creamy and round, with a finish that is long with lush jammy fruit. 78% Old Vine Zinfandel, 14% old vine Carignane, 8% Petite Sirah

The Heart Arrow ranch is one of the finest biodynamic farms in Mendocino County—a completely self-contained ecosystem where not only grapes but vegetables, fruit-trees, pigs, cows, lambs, and chickens all make a self-sustaining microcosm without herbicides or pesticides. The combination of these farming techniques and Dashe Cellars winemaking techniques work to make this an unusual Zinfandel, one that is very different in aroma, flavor, and structure than a classic California Zinfandel, and more like a wine from Burgundy or Beaujolais. How is this wine different? First of all, they don’t crush the grapes but instead use whole clusters and uncrushed destemmed grapes to create a “carbonic maceration” style of wine. They ferment the wine with the native yeasts on the grapes; age the wine in a huge 900 gallon French oak barrel; and bottle the wine with low SO2 levels.
It is extremely aromatic – black cherry, pomegranate, earth, violets, clove, and black pepper. The Dashe Cellars Zinfandel 2017 Les Enfants Terribles, Heart Arrow Ranch, Mendocino shows excellent fruit and mineral aromas, and the wine has an absolutely beautiful texture and depth of flavor. Enjoy the flavors of black cherry, pomegranate, strawberry, black raspberry, chocolate, minerals, and black pepper. Although this wine is beautiful to drink right now, it can improve with age as well, at least 8 years from the vintage date.

The Dry Creek Old Vine Zinfandel presents alluring aromatics of blackberry, boysenberry and bright Bing cherry with notes of cocoa powder, cardamom, and fine leather. On the palate, brambly layers of black cherry, blackberry and black raspberry come forward with nuances of nutmeg and white pepper. The wine is complex, with bright acidity complimented by a long, lingering finish. The tannins are structured, but soft, and lend a round, rich mouthfeel.

So broad and deep are the flavors in this mountain-grown, to call it intense is an understatement. Massive in briary, brambly blackberries, it has layers of baking spices, especially cloves and cinnamon, orange zest, and a sweet, concentrated burst of liquefied red licorice. There’s also meaty note: think teriyaki beef tartare. The alcohol is high, as indeed it has to be in a wine like this, which would not be ripe without it; but there’s no heat, just a mouth-filling warmth that rewards slow sipping.