Top 100 Wines: Zinfandel


Carlisle Winery & Vineyards
2013 Monte Rosso Vineyard Sonoma Valley Zinfandel
$46
Carlisle makes outstanding, ageworthy Zinfandels, sourcing from historic sites. Structured and elegant, this grand bottling is layered in
coconut macaroon, vanilla and strawberry raspberry jam. Traces of violet and lavender are streaked in black pepper, ending in earthy
dust. (VB)

Dry Creek Vineyard
2013 Sonoma County Zinfandel
$20
North Coast Wine Challenge judges described this wine as “flawless” and “sensual” in giving it 97 points. It’s that and more, with ripe, juicy
wild strawberry and raspberry fruit, medium weight, a drizzle of dark chocolate and scintillating freshness. The price can’t be beat. (LM)

Gallo Signature Series
2013 Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel
$35
Gina Gallo’s textbook Dry Creek Valley Zin, it delivers vibrant wild raspberry and blackberry aromas and flavors, white pepper, exotic spice
and hints of anise and clove. Bold, big-bodied and hedonistic. (LM)
Guadagni Family Wines
2011 Old Vine Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel
$34
Dry-farmed vines planted more than a century ago produced this intense, peppery Zin with luscious blackberry and dark cherry fruit and a long, juicy finish. (LM)
Hamel Family
2013 Estate Sonoma Valley Zinfandel
$55
With director of winemaking Martha McClellan and winemaker John B. Hamel III at the helm, this new addition to the Sonoma Valley wine scene is already hitting it out of the park with wines like this. New oak gives this Zinfandel structure and texture, while a good proportion of stainless-steel fermentation maintains freshness and an exuberance of red and black fruit. (VB)
Matrix Winery
2013 Bacigalupi Vineyard Reserve Russian River Valley Zinfandel
$42
A complete, complex Zin from one of Sonoma’s most revered vineyards, it delivers intense aromas and flavors of wild berry, black plum, toasty
oak and dark chocolate. Sarsaparilla, dried flowers and baking spice lurk in the background; the finish is both soft and refreshing. (LM)
Ordaz Family Wines
2012 Montecillo Vineyard Sonoma Valley Zinfandel
$42
As balanced and stylish as Zinfandel gets, if offers pretty maraschino cherry, vanilla and cocoa notes and mouthwatering refreshment. Jose
Jesus “Chuy” Ordaz, who arrived in Sonoma from Mexico to become a top vineyard manager, is behind this exciting new brand. (LM)

Ridge Vineyards
Geyserville Alexander Valley 2013
$35
It’s not labeled as Zinfandel, yet the grape dominates this wine, with splashes of Carignane, Petite Sirah and Mourvedre adding complexity
and tannic structure. Ridge Geyserville has a track record of aging beautifully, but also delivers drink-now blackberry, black raspberry briar
character, with refreshing acidity. (LM)

Quivira Vineyards
2013 Black Boar Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel
$45
This new bottling combines Pinot Noir-like suppleness and polish with rambunctious blackcurrant and dark raspberry fruit, anise and pepper
spice, and cola. Full-bodied and beautifully balanced, at 14.8 percent alcohol. (LM)

Seghesio
2012 Home Ranch Estate Alexander Valley Zinfandel
$58
This classic Sonoma County Zinfandel is dry and refined, its tannins fine-grained and integrated. On the palate, expect leather and blackberry, with a shaker’s full of baking spices that lingers on the soft, velvety finish. (VB)