Beverage of the Week (BOW)
We Know Jack! Jack Florence Sr. Vineyard Zinfandel Rockpile 2021
Product Story
We Know Jack! Yes, it’s a seemingly silly name for a wine brand but stick with us and it will all make sense. The brand arose as many have in California. Wine lovers become vineyard owners who sell their fruit to select winemakers. Over time they succumb to the temptation to transform some of their fruit into a wine of their own. Owners Mark Zuckerman and Lori Hunt purchased the Jack Florence Sr. Vineyard from Jack Sr. himself. Jack Jr. continues as the vineyard manager for this famed vineyard in the Rockpile AVA (Sonoma County, CA). The grapes for this wine are sourced from a special block within the vineyard that spans roughly 14 acres in sum. The wines are made by James MacPhail, an award-winning winemaker familiar to every BevX reader via Tongue Dancer Wines. 2021 was a drought year with a warm spring and a hot summer. Despite conditions the fruit from this vineyard was optimal and the proof is in the bottle. It’s a classic blend of 91% Zinfandel with 9% Petite Sirah co-fermented and aged in French Oak (20% new) for 11 months. It’s a big and bold wine that is built for both early drinking and aging.
Brand Story
We Know Jack! — the humorous name has a deep double meaning. It all starts with the vineyard established by Jack Florence Sr. Florence Sr. developed this vineyard, among others, in the 1990s in what would become the Rockpile appellation (Sonoma County, CA). The Zinfandel clone was gathered from one of California’s oldest surviving vineyards in nearby Cloverdale at St. Peter’s Church. These Zinfandel vines were planted in the 1880’s and thrive to this day. Jack Florence Jr. took cuttings from this rare clone, grafted them to appropriate rootstock and planted them in their Rockpile vineyards. These were known as the St. Peter’s Church but many just call it the Rockpile clone. If you are beginning to think that this vineyard and these vines are special — you’re right. Jack’s first customer was none other than Kent Rosenblum, a legendary winemaker known as one of the California Zinfandel masters. Rosenblum’s Rockpile Zinfandel from 2003 was named one of the Wine Spectator’s top wines in 2005. Since then the grapes have been sold to an impressive list of the region’s top winemakers. Mark Zuckerman and Lori Hunt purchased vineyard the 2015. They maintained a relationship with both Jack Sr. and Jack Jr. From the time that Mark and Lori purchased the vineyard they would walk the property. For some unknown reason, Mark would always pause at a certain spot in the vineyard. When searching for a special block within the vineyard with vineyard manager Jack Jr., he brought them to a spot that he had identified as being special. You guessed it — it was the same spot that had halted Mark and Lori in their tracks without reason for years. This is the We Know Jack! block. The wines are made by James MacPhail, an award-winning winemaker familiar to every BevX reader via Tongue Dancer Wines. This team with fruit from an elite vineyard conspire to create a phenomenal wine. Get it while it lasts.
Tasting Note
Brilliant, dark ruby/purple color. The aromatics are intense, offering scents of blackberry, graphite, and cassis with supporting notes of bramble, slate, and hints of cigar box. The palate confirms the nose delivering a black fruit-driven core with flavors of wild blueberry, raspberry, baking spices, and black tea joining grape skins in the tannins. The finish is long and lingering with chewy tannins. Full-bodied and perfectly balanced with a meaty yet supple texture.
How to Serve
This beautiful Zinfandel can be enjoyed today if you will patiently decant it an hour before drinking. It will also age gracefully for at least a decade from today. It needs nothing but a glass but we love it with grilled, brined, thick-cut pork chops.
Price: $ 78
BevX Review: http://bevx.com/wine-detail/?id=4290
