2021 Marietta Angeli Zinfandel Alexander Valley Estate

2021 Marietta Angeli Zinfandel Alexander Valley Estate

with No Comment $40-$50Alexander ValleyKevin VogtSonomaUSAZinfandel

MARIETTA

ANGELI ZINFANDEL 2021
ALEXANDER VALLEY ESTATE

2021 Marietta Angeli Zinfandel Alexander Valley Estate

A pioneer in crafting high-quality California Zinfandel, Chris Bilbro established Marietta in the late 1970s, collaborating closely with his sons, Scot and Jake. In 2012, Scot and Jake took over the winery, carrying on their father’s legacy of producing exceptionally balanced, varietally expressive Zinfandels.

For decades, the Bilbro family meticulously sourced top-quality fruit from trusted local growers, fostering connections that eventually led to the co-ownership of some vineyards. The Angeli Zinfandel, for instance, draws its unique character from vineyards nestled at the entrance of a narrow canyon, where gravel channels interweave with terraced hillsides, shaping the land’s distinctive terroir.

The 2021 Angeli Zinfandel belongs to the Estate Series, a collection celebrating the winery’s deep-rooted connection to the land. This exceptional vintage was aged for 15 months in neutral barrels, seamlessly blending with a touch of Petite Sirah and Syrah for added spice and complexity.

MARIETTA
ANGELI ZINFANDEL 2021
ALEXANDER VALLEY ESTATE

Your Price: $45

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“…a gorgeous Angeli in 2021 that is incredibly expressive and perfumed. Blueberry, boysenberry and blackberry give way to wafts of graphite, gobs of violet and even touches of tangerine. The medium to full-bodied palate explodes with concentrated fruit and expansive layers of floral perfume and spice. It has a powdery frame, bursts of mouthwatering acidity and a very long, nuanced finish.”

96 Points

2021 Saddleback Old Vine Zinfandel Calistoga

2021 Saddleback Old Vine Zinfandel Calistoga

with No Comment $40-$50Kevin VogtNapaUSAZinfandel

SADDLEBACK

OLD VINE ZINFANDEL 
CALISTOGA 2021

2021 Saddleback Old Vine Zinfandel Calistoga

Nils Venge established Saddleback Cellars in 1982 before becoming the first American winemaker to achieve a perfect 100-point score from Robert Parker for the Groth 1985 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. This accomplishment solidified a benchmark of excellence in winemaking in Napa Valley, and 40 years later, Nils’ wines continue to be justly rewarded with 90+ Point reviews from numerous critics.

Saddleback Cellars sits on 14 acres on Money Road in the Oakville AVA, also home to prestigious names like Harlan Estate, Opus One, and Screaming Eagle. 

Nils sources his Zinfandel from old vines in Calistoga that give this fruit intense concentration, lively energy, and depth while maintaining Nils’ award-winning house style.

SADDLEBACK
OLD VINE ZINFANDEL 
CALISTOGA 2021
Retails at: $56

Your Price: $40

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“The Saddleback 2021 Zinfandel comes from old vines in Calistoga and gives deep aromas of cloves, cinnamon, plum, peach, preserves, and milk chocolate. On the palate, the wine has intense flavors of raspberry, bing cherry, blueberry muffins, and sweet baking spices. The wine has a mouth-coating, velvety texture with an enduring finish.”

94 Points

2019 Joseph Jewell Zinfandel Raymond Burr Vineyard Dry Creek Valley

2019 Joseph Jewell Zinfandel Raymond Burr Vineyard Dry Creek Valley

with No Comment $30 and underDry Creek ValleyKevin VogtSonomaUSAZinfandel

JOSEPH JEWELL 

ZINFANDEL 2019
RAYMOND BURR VINEYARD
DRY CREEK VALLEY

2019 Joseph Jewell Zinfandel Raymond Burr Vineyard Dry Creek Valley

Adrian Jewell is the proprietor and winemaker for Joseph Jewell Wines, and his upbringing in Northern California’s cold, foggy climate led him to believe these majestic sites along the North Coast have invaluable potential for viticulture. With an authentic varietal expression, Joseph Jewell wines are sourced from small, independently owned, and sustainably farmed vineyards and carefully crafted in a welcoming, harmonious style that unites friends and family.

Recognized for producing superior quality grapes with subtle notes of ripe peaches, a quality that old-time growers prize in Zinfandel, Raymond Burr Vineyard is located in Sonoma’s Dry Creek Valley and planted on seven acres of 30-year-old Zinfandel.

Joseph Jewell’s 2019 Raymond Burr Vineyard Zinfandel represents a refined and elegant style of California Zinfandel, with fresh fruit flavors and plenty of spice. The wine is delightful on its own and particularly excellent with barbequed meats.

JOSEPH JEWELL 
ZINFANDEL 2019
RAYMOND BURR VINEYARD
DRY CREEK VALLEY
Retails at: $45

Your Price: $26

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“The Joseph Jewell 2019 Raymond Burr Zinfandel begins with an enticing bouquet of aromas, including allspice, pink peppercorns, red cherry, red currant, dried rose petals, peach blossom, and thyme. On the palate, the wine has refreshing notes of peach, baked cherry pie, wild blackberry, clove, and menthol, balanced by the wine’s lively acidity. Drink this wine now or hold for a few years for further development.”

93 Points

2018 David Clinton Old Vine Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley

2018 David Clinton Old Vine Zinfandel Mounts Vineyard Dry Creek Valley

with No Comment $30-$40Dry Creek ValleyKevin VogtSonomaUSAZinfandel

DAVID CLINTON

OLD VINE ZINFANDEL
MOUNTS VINEYARD 2018
DRY CREEK VALLEY

2018 David Clinton Old Vine Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley
Specializing in Old Vine Zinfandel, David Clinton Wines began with the unity of two friends sharing a passion for wine, then sourcing fruit from choice vineyards in Sonoma County. The Dry Creek Valley is famous for high-quality Zinfandels due to its soil composition, topography, and cooling influences from the Pacific Ocean. These factors are the driving influence behind David Clinton’s wines.
 
The winery has produced a single vineyard Zin, from the Mounts Vineyard, located adjacent to Rafanelli, since 2013. This wine defines their house style with approachability, red and black fruits balanced with acidity, and a smooth mouthfeel. The 2018 vintage represents a classic example of Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel sourced from an old vineyard block, giving concentrated, intense flavors, soft tannins, and ageability. 
 
DAVID CLINTON
OLD VINE ZINFANDEL
MOUNTS VINEYARD 2018
DRY CREEK VALLEY
 
Your Price: $32
 
 
“The David Clinton 2018 Mounts Vineyard Old Vine Zinfandel begins with red cherry, plum, mixed berry pie, milk chocolate, cinnamon, and earth. On the palate, the wine has rich flavors of raspberry, blueberry, and chocolate chip cookies, with a hint of black pepper on the finish. This wine has had some time to develop in the bottle, bringing out more profound complexity and a soft texture that will continue to age but is very drinkable right now.” 
94 Points
2021 Limerick Lane Zinfandel Russian River Valley

2021 Limerick Lane Zinfandel Russian River Valley

with No Comment $40-$50Kevin VogtRussian River ValleySonomaUSAZinfandel

LIMERICK LANE

ZINFANDEL 2021
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY

2021 Limerick Lane Zinfandel Russian River Valley
Jake Bilbro of Limerick Lane Winery is the third steward of the historic property since the Del Fava family planted the estate vineyard in 1910. The landmark property has maintained its roots for over a century, focusing on sustainable farming and minimal irrigation. The farming team only irrigates plots when necessary, producing fruit with complex, concentrated flavors and aromas.
 
Limerick Lane specializes in high-quality Zinfandel, sourcing from their estate along with a few nearby old vine Zinfandel vineyards known for growing the highest quality fruit. 
 
Winemaker Chris Pittenger intentionally alters the vineyard composition of each vintage, seeking out fruit to create the most balanced wine possible. Their 2021 vintage embodies the spirit of the Russian River Valley with perfectly ripe, bright fruit accented by refreshing acidity and an ideal balance of flavors.
 
LIMERICK LANE
ZINFANDEL 2021
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY
Retails at: $46
 
 
 
“The 2021 Zinfandel (Russian River Valley) is an absolute delight. Bright and intensely floral, the 2021 is packed with varietal character. Crushed red berry fruit, white flowers and mint all race out of the glass in this refreshing, juicy Zinfandel from Limerick Lane. This is an absolute winner.”
91 Points
2018 Storybook Mountain Vineyards Napa Valley Zinfandel Mayacamas Range

2018 Storybook Mountain Vineyards Napa Valley Zinfandel Mayacamas Range

with No Comment $30-$40CalistogaKevin VogtNapaUSAZinfandel

STORYBOOK

MOUNTAIN VINEYARDS
NAPA VALLEY ZINFANDEL
MAYACAMAS RANGE 2018

2018 Storybook Mountain Vineyards Napa Valley Zinfandel Mayacamas Range
In the Western hills above Calistoga, Storybook Mountain Vineyards produces one of the most profound expressions of California Zinfandel. This captivating style of Zinfandel combines power and elegance with freshness and remarkable complexity. Andre Tchelistcheff advised Dr. Jerry Seps to plant Zinfandel on his property in the 1970s. Nearly fifty years later, Storybook Mountain’s Zinfandels have made the Wine & Spirits magazine’s top 100 list around twenty times. 
 
The vineyard’s surprisingly cool micro-climate, elevation, and red clay-loam soils create a terroir where the Zinfandel grape can develop optimum flavors at lower sugars. Jerry aged this Zinfandel in a combination of French and American oak barrels inside the 130 years old caves, dug into the volcanic rock. The resulting wine is exceptional and comes at my highest recommendation.
 
STORYBOOK
MOUNTAIN VINEYARDS
NAPA VALLEY ZINFANDEL
MAYACAMAS RANGE 2018
Retails at: $45
 
 
 
“Jerry Seps’s widest selection from his hillside estate northwest of Calistoga, Mayacamas Range is meant to be enjoyed in its youth. The wine has grace and energy, delivering dark-cherry roundness directly into the tannins and their bone-broth savor. Those tannins combine blueberry-skin freshness and a hint of bitter almond in a lasting, supple impression. Heady and beautiful.”
94 Points
2021 Gamba Zinfandel Starr Road Ranch Russian River Valley

2021 Gamba Zinfandel Starr Road Ranch Russian River Valley

with No Comment $40-$50Kevin VogtOld Vine ZinfandelRussian River ValleySonomaUSAZinfandel

GAMBA

ZINFANDEL 2021
STARR ROAD RANCH
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY

2021 Gamba Zinfandel Starr Road Ranch Russian River Valley
Gus Gamba farms some of the oldest Zinfandel vines in California, planted by pioneering immigrants from the turn of the 20th century. The winery’s vineyards are farmed organically and rely solely on rainwater for irrigation, just as they did over 100 years ago. 
 
Planted in 1920, the Starr Road Ranch Vineyard produces tiny yields of highly-concentrated Zinfandel fruit with stunning depth of flavor and remarkable complexity. The grapes are double sorted by hand, ensuring only the highest quality fruit is selected to make this profound expression of Old Vine Russian River Valley Zinfandel.
 
GAMBA
ZINFANDEL 2021
STARR ROAD RANCH
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY
Retails at: $60
 
 
 
“The Gamba 2021 Starr Ranch Road Zinfandel begins with notes of Christmas spices, red licorice, clove, marzipan, and red cherry. On the palate, the wine has a bright red fruit accented by nutmeg, allspice, and fresh acidity. This wine is perfect for a casual afternoon and makes an excellent match for barbequed foods.”
94 Points
2019 Mike and Molly Zinfandel R.W. Moore Vineyard

2019 Mike and Molly Zinfandel R.W. Moore Vineyard

with No Comment $30-$40CoombsvilleKevin VogtNapaUSAZinfandel

MIKE AND MOLLY

ZINFANDEL 2019
R.W. MOORE VINEYARD

2019 Mike and Molly Zinfandel R.W. Moore Vineyard
Mike and Molly Hendry’s connections to Napa Valley grape-growing run as deep as the roots of the ancient Zinfandel vines of the R.W. Moore Vineyard, initially planted in 1905 in what is now the Coombsville AVA. Molly’s uncle Bill owns the historic vineyard, a member of the U.C. Davis Heritage project, where genetic material from the vineyard is studied and preserved.
 
This field blend of approximately 95% Zinfandel, with small amounts of Petite Sirah, Carignan, Mourvedre, and Mourtaou, displays the unique microclimate and its cooling influences from the Pacific Ocean, maintaining freshness and overall balance. Mike and Molly have been producing wines from this legacy vineyard since 2009, and their 2019 vintage is the beginning of a new decade of Zinfandel excellence with this full-bodied yet graceful wine.
 
MIKE AND MOLLY
ZINFANDEL 2019
R.W. MOORE VINEYARD
Retails at: $42
 
Your Price: $39.99
 
 
“The Mike & Molly Hendry 2019 Coombsville R.W. Moore Vineyard Zinfandel has a bright, fresh nose with aromas of ripe red plum, cranberry, cloves, black tea, and cigar box. The wine has flavors of red cherry, strawberry, and sweet baking spices, with soft, smooth tannins and a velvety finish. This wine has a concentration and fruit intensity for age-ability, and an inviting youthful drinkability with spice notes will pair perfectly with the holidays.”
94-95 Points
2018 Hendry Zinfandel Blocks 7 and 22 Napa Valley

2018 Hendry Zinfandel Blocks 7 and 22 Napa Valley

with No Comment $30-$40Kevin VogtMt VeederNapaUSAZinfandel

HENDRY

BLOCKS 7 & 22 ZINFANDEL
NAPA VALLEY 2018

2018 Hendry Zinfandel Blocks 7 and 22 Napa Valley
The Hendry family have farmed grapes at the base of Mount Veeder since 1939, obtaining a vast amount of knowledge while perfecting their practices with over 80 years of harvests. Their ranch has a substantial marine influence from the nearby San Pablo Bay that maintains acidity and keeps the fruit fresh and bright, resulting in some of Napa Valley’s most distinctive Zinfandels.
 
Block 7 was planted in 1975 and Block 22 in 1995 on benchlands with thin, stony soils exposed to dense morning fogs and strong afternoon breezes that result in complex, concentrated flavors. The cool weather of the 2018 growing season gave wines with focus, elegance, and ageability, and this Zinfandel will intrigue palates for years to come. 
 
HENDRY
BLOCKS 7 & 22 ZINFANDEL
NAPA VALLEY 2018
 
Your Price: $38
 
 
“George Hendry planted Block 7 in 1975. At the time, he was selling grapes from his family’s ranch at the base of Mt. Veeder, just west of the city of Napa. He planted Block 22 in 1995, a few years after he began to make his own wine. His nephew Mike manages the vines today, blending Blocks 7 & 22, both clone 2 zinfandel, and aging it in French oak barrels (one third of them new). If you love Napa Valley zinfandel as I do, you owe it to yourself to get this wine if just for the smell alone. It starts with tight floral clarity, then expands toward zinfandel’s classic generosity, touching every sense receptor with its purity of fruit. Immediately fresh and refreshing, this begins to sit in its oak as it develops over several days, suggesting that you drink it either now or in ten years when it will have completely digested that oak and show the vineyard through a mature lens.” 
94 Points
2019 Gamba MCM Estate Zinfandel Russian River Valley

2019 Gamba MCM Estate Zinfandel Russian River Valley

with No Comment $40-$50Kevin VogtRussian River ValleySonomaUSAZinfandel

GAMBA

MCM ESTATE ZINFANDEL 
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY 2019

2019 Gamba MCM Estate Zinfandel Russian River Valley
Gus Gamba considers himself a steward of his land and utilizes organic vineyard management practices on his family’s property, planted in 1900. His Vineyard’s topography, soils, and microclimate are perfect for ripening Zinfandel to the peak of perfection, resulting in one of the Russian River Valley’s most prized Zin’s. 
 
Farming is foremost at Gamba Vineyards; however, the same level of care follows through into the cellar. Gus and his team double-hand-sort the berries, with only the best making their way into fermentors. Next, the 2019 release spent an impressive 18 months aging primarily in American oak barrels, contributing to the wine’s spice characteristics and remarkable structure. The finished wine is rich, vibrantly detailed, engrossingly fresh, and is drinking beautifully right now. 
 
GAMBA
MCM ESTATE ZINFANDEL 
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY 2019
Retails at: $54
 
Your Price: $49.99
 
 
“The exciting 2019 MCM Gamba Estate Old Vine Zinfandel is a brilliant wine, with bright garnet hues shining in the glass. The aroma offers lush raspberry, rhubarb pie and savory dried herbs. Medium to full in body, the wine explodes with fresh berries, stone fruit and red cherry that are accented with delicious brown spices and an essence of toasty oak. The texture is slightly leathery, yet polished and refined. The wine is focused, compelling, and exquisitely layered, with mouth-watering tannins; a serious and seamless flavor experience from beginning to end. Lifting acidity and mild toasted oak round out the coda of its pleasant, lingering finish. A great wine to enjoy in its youth, or candidate to lay down in the cellar if you have the will power!”