Sonoma County's premier grape isn't Pinot Noir or Chardonnay. It's actually Zinfandel. No, it isn't the most-planted or most-famous wine from Sonoma, but it's still on top because nobody does Zin like Sonoma County.
If you're going to visit the area, make it part of your plan to stop at some Zin houses!
The Styles
Zinfandel comes in a couple styles. One is the traditional drier wine with some tannins that does best with a bit of age. The other is the full blast of red fruit, softer, and sweeter tasting wine with 15% plus alcohol. Not every Zin will neatly fit in one or the other. Not everyone will like both versions. The list below "goes both ways" so you can decide for yourself.
If I were to pick one winery from each end of the scale, a good choice would be Mazzocco and Ridge/Lytton Springs, as they are about a half mile apart. If you're looking for a tweener, go with Seghesio.
The Locations
Zinfandel is grown in many Sonoma appellations. The key one is Dry Creek Valley, as this is the perfect place to grow great Zin. Other key growing areas are Rockpile, Russian River Valley, Sonoma Valley, and Sonoma Mountain. Rockpile and Sonoma Mtn are small areas, so there's not much wine coming from there.
There are over 5,000 acres of Zinfandel planted in the county, so there are a lot of wineries making Zin besides those I've listed.
The List
These suggested wineries are listed in alphabetical order. The appellation of the winery is also listed. That doesn't necessarily mean their Zinfandels all come from that area. These wineries produce multiple Zins.
Everyone loves A. Rafanelli, but actually finding their Zin in stock isn't easy. As I'm writing this, there's a 2023 Zinfandel listed on their website, and it says "call to inquire about purchasing," whatever that means. That's why they aren't on this list. Rafanelli's Zinfandel is probably the closest thing Sonoma County has to a cult wine.
 |
| January in Dry Creek Valley |
Bella Vineyards, Dry Creek Valley
They have quite a few Zinfandels in that big, fruit-forward style, averaging about $60. This is a popular weekend spot way up a narrow, winding road.
Dry Creek Vineyards, Dry Creek Valley
Many Zins here and I love almost all of them. I was a wine club member, but had to stop because I was buying too many. Now my cellar is overflowing with Dry Creek's Zins, but that's not a bad thing. Dry Creek is also known for their several Sauvignon Blanc offerings.
J Rickards Winery, Alexander Valley
The Zins show a lot of red fruit, are pushing 15% alcohol, but are still very easy to drink and enjoy with a plate of pasta. Prices are reasonable.
Jeff Cohn, in the town of Healdsburg
A lot of Zins from interesting vineyards produced in limited quantities, all currently priced at $65. I've never had the wines. All I know about them is they score well with the wine writers.
Limerick Lane Cellars, Russian River Valley
Premium Zinfandels at premium prices of $65-$70, except for their Russian River Zin blend. Many are from small vineyards or specific blocks within a vineyard. Their website is currently showing wines from top old vine vineyards such as Banfield, Bedrock, Maffei, and Monte Rosso. Damn, that's a nice list.
Martinelli Winery, Russian River Valley
Most famous for the Jackass Hill wines planted on a very steep non-terraced hillside in the late 19th century. Most of their Zins are only available to their club (they call it a list), so I hesitated to put Martinelli here, but they have a great reputation, so you decide if it's worth a stop. Kokomo Winery does the same, where all but one of their Zins is club-only. Martinelli is also known for their many Pinot Noirs.
Mauritson Wines, Dry Creek Valley
Quite a few Zins, many from their Rockpile vineyard. The Rockpile growing areas sits just north of Dry Creek and at a higher elevation. Wines from Rockpile are pretty rare, but worth searching for. Solid wines from a winery that seems to fly under the radar.
Mazzocco Sonoma, Dry Creek Valley
Part of the Wilson Family of wineries, they make dozens of Zins, more than I've ever seen from one winery. If you like the big, fruity, full-throttle style, you might love these guys. My neighbor swears this is the best Zinfandel in the world. My neighbor also drinks a lot of triple IPAs. That made me realize Mazzocco Zins and triple IPAs have similar qualities -- they're in your face, have high alcohol, and some sweetness.
Pedroncelli Winery, Dry Creek Valley
The Pedroncelli family has been at this for a long time. They're most known for the very reasonably priced Mother Clone Zinfandel.
Quivira Vineyards, Dry Creek Valley
Several Zins available that usually fall more on the elegant side, if there's such a thing as an elegant Zinfandel. Their property is interesting to wander through. Quivira is also known for their Sauvignon Blanc.
Ridge Vineyards / Lytton Springs, Dry Creek Valley
For many, this is Zinfandel heaven. They make almost two dozen Zins with the Three Valleys in distribution. If you've had that wine and loved it, know that you've only scratched the surface of what Lytton Springs can do with the Zinfandel grape.
Rockpile Vineyards, in the town of Healdsburg
Part of the Wilson family of wineries, they have a half-dozen Zins all from the Rockpile growing area, priced $60-$75. Fruit-forward, full-bodied, hefty wines.
Seghesio Vineyards, in the town of Healdsburg
The family has been growing Zinfandel since the end of the 19th century, though they sold their namesake winery several years ago. Their dozen Zins are still delicious. You might find the Seghesio Sonoma County Zinfandel in a local store. It's a great wine for the price. If you like that one, you will love their smaller production Zins from many top vineyards.
St. Francis Winery, Sonoma Valley
They have
several Zins from all over the county. Their well-structured wines are a bit tight when
young and deserve some aging. St. Francis is also known for Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Trentadue Winery, Alexander Valley
An old family winery currently showing three Zins on their website, and one of those is a Port. The Zinfandel from their La Storia line is an excellent wine for the price.
Wilson Winery, Dry Creek Valley
Same winery family as Mazzocco and Rockpile listed above. Several Zins in a full-bodied style that's been loved by many over the decades.
 |
| Wilson Winery image from sonomacounty.com |
Blog post inspired by this article.
No comments:
Post a Comment