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- More Zinfandels of Interest
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STEELE WINES
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 Jed
Steele started out as the winemaker for a little Anderson Valley enterprise
called Edmeades back in the 1970s. From there he had a stint at
Kendall Jackson, helping refine the style of wine which made Jess Jackson
and family the big-time wine barons they are today. He started his own
label in the early 1990s and makes a number of interesting
wines.
The winery is located in Lake County and Jed buys fruit all over California
and beyond (he makes a Washington State "Blaufränkisch").
Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are his main varieties, along with Syrah.
Zinfandel has long been a mainstay and we've periodically found good bottles
worthy of our recommendation.
In a recent blind-tasting with the Vino Fino boys, we found Steele's 2005
"Pacini Vineyard" Zinfandel to be tops. It was the sort of
wine which reminded us of the style of Silver Oak Cabernet but with deep
Zinfandel berry fruit. The other remarkable feature is the wine is
price-worthy and affordable! (Imagine that in this day when
fifty-bucks is viewed as the 'entry level' bottling of California wine!)
The vineyard is in Mendocino and was planted by the Pacini family in the
1940s. Jed bought the fruit for a number of years before simply
purchasing the whole dang vineyard in 1996. The vineyard ripens in
stages so it's picked, typically, over a couple of weeks to maximize
ripeness and fruit character. They declassify various lots which don't
measure up and bottle a wonderfully exuberant, berryish, nicely oaked
Zinfandel. Minty, too. The 2005 is delicious now and will
be best over the next year or so...it's not quite as cellar-worthy as the
preceding vintage, but it's certainly nice now.
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- Currently in stock: 2005 STEELE Mendocino "Pacini
Vineyard" ZINFANDEL (Special Price) $16.99
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SAUCELITO CANYON
 One of our favorite Central Coast Zinfandels, this is the work of
Bill and Nancy Greenough. They bought the Rancho Saucelito in 1974 from the
grand-daughters of the English bloke who first planted vines on the property in the late
1870s.
The Greenoughs found some abandoned vineyards on the estate and nurtured some three
acres into production. They have since added another five acres of Zin, plus two of
Cabernet Sauvignon. The vineyard is in the Arroyo Grande appellation, south of the town of
San Luis Obispo. On the nose there's a hint of plum, prune, herbs and a touch of oak.
Brown spices, to a degree, show up on the nose and palate. The
wine is medium-full bodied and not especially tannic. This is one of the few "Central
Coast" Zinfandels we like well enough to actually stock in the shop.
Currently in stock: 2005 SAUCELITO CANYON Zinfandel $18.99
JOULLIAN Monterey
County isn't exactly on the map of great Zinfandel-producing wine regions,
but there's one little outpost where the grape seems to thrive...in the
Carmel Valley.
As Zinfandel drinkers are aware, "Ridge" is a great name for this
variety. So it's ironic the winemaker at Joullian is named
"Ridge," though he's not affiliated with "Ridge
Vineyards" apart from his opening a bottle of their wine every now and
again.
Ridge Watson has been making good wines at Joullian since they started the
place. Though Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc are the main wines,
Zinfandel has received special attention from the start.
Founder Dick Sias took special care in sourcing cuttings to plant. He
began with vines from an Amador County vineyard which was a clone
recommended by the famous viticulture specialist, Dr. Frederic Bioletti.
The good doctor was instrumental in grape growing before Prohibition and was
the most respected vineyard guy in his day. Sias also obtained
cuttings from Lytton Springs and a nearby site in Cloverdale, as well as
from Napa and a clone from Italy's Puglia region where Primitivo
thrives. Now add to this minestrone a few vines of Carignane,
Grenache, Aleatico and Alicante Bouchet and you're really playing with fire.
Watson co-ferments all this wacky components and his 2004 is a delightful
wine! We had it in a blind-tasting and the wine was very distinctive
and quite good. I liked the spicy, peppery notes. The grape is
the focus, rather than oak or jam. It's mildly tannic and perfect
partnered with a well-seasoned red meat course.-
- Currently in stock: 2004 JOULLIAN Carmel Valley ZINFANDEL $19.99
TURLEY WINE CELLARS
 Larry Turley was a partner with John & Julie Williams in establishing a
funny little venture called Frog's Leap Wine Cellars. Larry had a small property
just off the St. Helena Highway which was a former frog farm. Given that stags were
leaping prominently elsewhere in the Napa Valley, it stands to reason that frogs should
also be leaping. After a few years the Frog's Leap project was so successful John
Williams left his winemaking job at Mike Robbins' Spring Mountain Winery and was full-time
at Frog's Leap.
One day, out of the blue (so I'm told) Dr. Larry (a medical doc) tells Mr. & Mrs.
Williams he wants a divorce and he's going to start his own winery making Zinfandel and
Petite Sirah.
The sun shines brightly in St. Helena and many people were commenting that Dr. Larry had
been the victim of some sort of brain-frying. Who, after all, in their right mind,
would consider starting a winery to specialize in Zinfandel and Petite Sirah?
The Williams' duo purchased Frog's Leap and Turley Wine Cellars took over the former frog
farm.
The original winemaker was Dr. Turley's famed sister, Helen Turley. The keyword here
is "was." The assistant winemaker, Ehren Jordan, is now The Winemaker.
The Turley wines have achieved "cult" status and are offered on secondary
markets for amazingly steep prices.
We receive a few bottles of Turley wines and always include them in our blind-tastings,
allowing a greater number of people to, at least, have a chance to experience these.
Turley is a believer in achieving the maximum from the various grapes and vineyards.
Yields in the vineyards, for example, are suppressed in hopes of producing a more
flavorful grape. I recall tasting a Robert Mondavi Zinfandel and being impressed.
The following vintage, Mondavi's wine was not so hot. An enologist at Mondavi
explained why: "Helen Turley."
She enticed the grower to sell his old vines' fruit to Turley Wine Cellars, instead.
Old vines don't guarantee good quality. We're seeing a number of "Old
Vines" Zins from Lodi. Turley makes a Lodi Zinfandel. But they go there,
pay the grower for the obscene quantity of fruit they normally harvest and then tell them
they want the vineyard cultivated for a crop level of about two tons per acre. The
growers look at the Turley people as though they're idiots (the same way some thought they
must have been out of their minds to focus on Petite Sirah and Zinfandel). However,
the results have been spectacular and, in my view, there oughta be legislation mandating
that only Le Methode Turley may be employed in Lodi. This
would eliminate much of the appallingly weak wine coming from those vines!
Larry read a book about the effects of various soils on the vines and
purchased the old Pesenti winery in the Central Coast. I told him
about Pesenti's old bottles which resembled the flasks cough medicine comes
in. He was intrigued with the prospects of making Zinfandel from the
warm Paso Robles region which is grown on limestone. Stay tuned for
this!
Turley's are huge, big, ripe, nicely-oaked wines. They almost always show well in
blind-tasting comparisons. People who are accustomed to high acidity, lower alcohols
(12%-13%) and virtually no wood in their wine will likely be bowled over by Turley wines.
The wines tend to be bright in fruit, 14-15% in alcohol and having a fair bit of
cedary wood.
Please drink your Turley Zins young. Don't rely on the reviews of
various critics who advise holding on to them for 5 or 10 years. Yes,
the wines may have enough tannin to go that long, but it's doubtful the
fruit will maintain for an extended period. Our experience with Turley
Zins is they're best within a few years of release.
- Currently available: Some "Old Vines" and "Hayne
Vineyard" are in stock...stop by...no mail orders...
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- CHAPPELLET
 Here's a name we don't associate with Zinfandel! The Chappellet family
has been making excellent dry Chenin Blanc, good Chardonnays and periodically stunning
Cabernets up on Pritchard Hill in the eastern Napa Valley. Apparently Molly
Chappellet must have been in the warm sun a bit too long and the same can probably be said
for her husband Donn. They acquired Zinfandel from Mendocino's warm Redwood
Valley. Less than 400 cases were produced of this mildly spicy red wine. The
bud-wood for this old vineyard came from Sonoma's Dry Creek Valley, though it doesn't
"taste" like Dry Creek Zin. There's a sweet cherry note to the fruit
that's decidedly different and unique. This pairs handsomely with Italian-styled
foods or some smoky, barbecued ribs. - Currently available: 1998 Mendocino "Old Vines" Zinfandel $24.99
(last bottles)
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JOEL GOTT
 We
first gott acquainted with this clan in the mid-1970s when Cary Gott was
running one of the new, chi-chi wineries in California, a place called
Monteviña up in Amador County. Cary made some exceptional Zinfandels
from old vineyards in Amador. These were, along with the wines of
Ridge Vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains, amongst the most
sought-after Zinfandels of that era. Finally Cary left to work at Corbett
Canyon in the Central Coast, before vanishing at Sterling in Napa. His
picture was recently seen on the side of a milk carton.
Joel is Cary Gott's son. Launching his own brand some years ago, Joel
also has his hands full with other activities such as owning a little market
in Calistoga, a hamburger stand and a car wash. To think the guy finds
time to make Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Zinfandel, too! (Mrs. Gott was the winemaker
at a small winery in Napa Valley owned by a fellow named Joseph Phelps...she's
now employed by a subsidiary of Franciscan, a wonderful estate called
Quintessa.)
Zinfandel must be in his blood. He makes a dynamite Amador Zin,
avoiding the stewed fruit character of so many from up in them thar
hills. The 2004 vintage is much like its predecessors; lots of berry
notes and some sweet oak combine to make an impressive, showy red
wine. Not a wine for cellaring, it's best to enjoy this in its
youth. Too bad he doesn't make much! This is a delightful wine
and rather universally appealing while still having "soul."
- Currently in stock: 2004 Amador County ZINFANDEL $24.99
GRGICH HILLS
 Famous
Napa Valley vintner Mike Grgich has been on the scene for many
decades. He first gained fame and a fabulous reputation while making
wine at Chateau Montelena.
His Chardonnays were extraordinary and he made some Zinfandels which were
amazing. I wonder how that 1973 Montelena Zin is doing today as it was
such an extraordinary wine back in the day! One feature which was
curious: the wine did not under a secondary, malolactic
fermentation. I think they wanted to see if prohibiting this would
allow the wine to retain greater fruit and age better. But as I did
not set any bottles aside, I probably will never know!!
Over the years Grgich Hills Zinfandels were wines purchased from a winery in
Sonoma and bottled with the Grgich label. More recently the wine has
come from Napa.
The 2003 vintage is the current release. Grgich now grows its own
Zinfandel, rather than buying fruit. The vineyard is in Calistoga and
it's, like other Grgich wines, from organically-farmed grapes. You'll
find this to be a full-bodied Zin with typical brambly, jammy berry notes. A
small amount of Petite Sirah may give it a bit of body and spice. I
find it to be a nice Napa red wine, but it's not over-the-top. We
suggest serving it with something such as a tomato sauced pasta with a bit
of basil or grilled Italian sausages, marinated pork tenderloins, etc.
Currently in stock: GRGICH HILLS 2003 Napa ZINFANDEL (list $28) SALE
$24.99
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RAFANELLI
 One of the sales techniques used by some wineries is to restrict sales of
their products in shops so customers have trouble locating their wines.
This bit of psychology can work on a limited basis, making some people want
the wine more because it's hard to find. We've seen, though, sometimes
customers simply give up and are no longer loyal to such brands when there
are so many roadblocks to making a purchase.
Rafanelli was started by an old winemaker, Americo Rafanelli. We were
one of his first customers. The next generation of Rafanelli's runs
the place today and they prefer to sell the wine exclusively in
restaurants. It is remarkable that this Zin can be found in relatively
modest-quality dining establishments (to be charitable) but not a "fine wine"
shop. This is short-sighted and greedy marketing. Seems to
work for them, though.
We no longer have access to these wines.
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TRENTADUE WINERY We've
known the Trentadue family for decades! We were one of their first
customers, buying wine from them in the early 1970s.
Leo Trentadue used to own a jewelry store here on Broadway in
Burlingame! He used to live in the Santa Clara Valley and was sharp
enough (or crazy) to buy some old abandoned winery atop a hill in
Cupertino...this later became "Ridge Vineyards" and I think he
sold it in the 1970s. He's long been selling Zinfandel grapes to
Ridge Vineyards in Cupertino for its "Geyserville" bottling of
Zinfandel. Today the fruit doesn't have to travel so far, since Ridge
has a large Sonoma facility for vinifying its Sonoma fruit.
Trentadue routinely made rustic wines back in the 1970s and 1980s.
Finally they hired someone to actually make wine and the quality level
increased substantially.
We bought a bottle of their Old Patch Red and found the 2005 to be quite a
good wine, much as were the past two vintages. The old Italian growers used to plant a mix of grape
varieties within a vineyard and harvest all the fruit at one time, creating
a "field-blended" wine. That's the idea here, though I am
uncertain if this is still, in fact, a field blend.
The wine is predominantly Zinfandel. You'll find a nice percentage of
Petite Sirah and a little bit of Carignane and Sangiovese, too. The
fruit comes from the Russian River, Alexander and Dry Creek Valleys.
Fourteen months' aging in wood softened the wine and it's a big, robust red
with blackberry and raspberry fruit notes and some spice tones. It's
also a good value, in our view.-
- Currently in stock: 2005 Old Patch Red (winery price $16) $12.99
VALDEZ
 Wow,
is this guy's tale a true "American success story"!
Ulises Valdez was born in Michoacan, Mexico. His father died when he
was seven years old and at age ten he went to Mexico City to help his
uncle. At age 16 he managed to get a job working in a vineyard in
Sonoma's Dry Creek Valley after lying about his age. He caught a break
working at the Lake Sonoma winery before striking a deal with a vineyard
management firm where he'd work without pay in exchange for an ownership
stake in the firm. By the time the partnership dissolved, it had grown
from 30 acres to 600. Today he farms more than 800 acres and his
handiwork is sought after by famous winemakers who rely on Valdez' expertise
as a grape grower.
We tasted a couple of wines of the Valdez label and the Zinfandel is a real
standout. It's made by Jeff Cohn, former Rosenblum winemaker whose JC
Cellars wines are terrific.
The fruit comes from the Rockpile Road Vineyard in Sonoma's Dry Creek
appellation. It's a big, powerful wine, much along the lines of recent
Rosenblum bottlings. It strikes me as having a little bit of sugar
(though probably less than the current Rosenblum bottlings). The wine
is huge, of course, being more than 16% alcohol. Somehow it succeeds,
though, having "gobs o' fruit" as a certain critic likes to say
and a nice bit of sweet tones from the oak. Showy wine, to say the
least. Only 500 cases were made.-
- Currently in stock: 2004 VALDEZ "Rockpile Road"
ZINFANDEL Sold Out
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RIVER RUN
 This
little winery is run by a self-taught winemaker who's been making good wines
for many years. I have tasted J.P. Pawloski's wines and these
tend to be a bit old-fashioned and not big, oaky monsters.
The winery takes its name from Pawloski's occupation in a previous lifetime,
that as a river rafting guide. River Run is located in Watsonville,
south west of Gilroy. I gather J.P. strives for organically-farmed
fruit and we tasted a few nice bottlings from the under-the-radar region of
Cienega Valley.
We tasted a good Zinfandel from the "Wirz" Vineyard, an old patch
of vines right on the San Andreas Fault. While the wine might not be
earth-shaking to everyone, it's certainly going to have its
fans.
The vineyard is planted on its own rootstock and the soils are granite and
limestone. Zinfandel is dry-farmed and yields are rather low,
accounting for greater intensity in the wine. What attracts our
attention to this wine is it's a bit reminiscent of an Italian Amarone,
combined with the particular character that says "Cienega
Valley." You have to taste it to understand the particular
"terroir" elements in the wine.
It's drinkable now and I'm not sure how well it will age. I suspect
drinking it over the next year or two is probably best.-
- Currently in stock: 2001 RIVER RUN Cienega Valley ZINFANDEL
$14.99
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SURH LUCHTEL
 Though the
name of this little enterprise sounds more like that of a French telephone
company, it's a collaborative effort of a couple of old friends. Don
Surh and Gary Luchtel were college housemates in the late 1970s and both
have been wine geeks for years. In 1999 they took the plunge and made
wine commercially. They're currently producing about 2,000 cases
annually and we've often admired some of their wines.
An old vine Zinfandel from the 2006 vintage rivals many of the top, stylish
Zins from more famous estates. We like the recipe: old vines,
low yields...a cold soak to the juice and skins and then a moderately warm
fermentation, malolactic in barrel (fixes the color nicely) and a bit of new
French oak. The resulting wine is fairly potent, but it's not over-the-top
on the nose or palate. You should, however, fasten your seatbelt at
the dinner table when opening a bottle of this. -
- The wine is delicious now. We can't imagine this aging for more than
a couple of years, as it strikes us as ready to drink. Only a few
hundred cases were produced.
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- Currently in stock: 2006 Napa ZINFANDEL $29.99
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GAMBA
 The Gamba winery
produces big, pushing-the-envelope, fasten-your-seatbelt kinds of
Zinfandel. These are not for the faint of heart or consumers looking
for elegant, refined red wine.
They make wine from their own vines as well as purchasing grapes from a
Windsor area vineyard called Moratto.
Production in the vineyards is small, typically less than a ton of grapes
per acre.
We currently have the 2005 "Moratto Vineyard" Zinfandel, a big,
jammy, "gobs o' fruit" kind of wine. It's potent and deep,
so pairing it with flavorful foods is a good idea. I don't view this
as a good cellaring candidate, finding wines like this tend to be at their
best when they're young.-
- Currently in stock: 2005 GAMBA ZINFANDEL "Moratto
Vineyard" $37.99
VENGE
 We first
met Nils Venge in the 1970s when he was working for a little 'start up'
winery called Villa Mount Eden.
I know he had worked at Sterling and Charles Krug before making the dynamite
1978 Villa Mount Eden Cabernet.
He later toiled for the Groth family and today he and his son Kirk have the
Venge label and there's also a brand called Saddleback Cellars.
We're rather fond of a Zinfandel-based blend they make called Scout's
Honor. Scout was the winery dog and remains in spirit.
The 2005 is predominantly Zinfandel with equal parts of Charbono and Petite
Sirah. Lots of berries and some sweet oak make for an interesting
wine. Deep in color and teeming with fruit, this is a lovely bottle
for grilled or roasted meats.
Currently in stock: 2005 VENGE Napa Valley "Scout's
Honor" SALE $34.99-
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