The Data

Country   USA

Appellation   Contra Costa County

Varietal   Zinfandel

Retail Price   $40

ABV   15.7%

Score   4.5 Stars/95 points

In the Glass

Brilliant, deep ruby color.

The aromatics are intense, offering scents of strawberry, raspberry, and blackberry with supporting notes of dried herbs, slate, blueberry, and lavender.

The palate echoes the nose delivering a red and black fruits-driven core with flavors of boysenberry, bramble, rosemary, and black pepper. The finish is long and lingering with firm tannins.

Full-bodied and perfectly balanced with a meaty texture.

Cool Factor

We love the great old-styled Zinfandels and this wine reminds us why we love Zin!

Value Grade

A wonderfully charming and superb Zinfandel from a stellar vineyard selling at $40 a bottle is a tremendous value.

Analysis

Del Barba Ranch in Contra Costa County has a remarkable 12-acre block of Carignane, Mataro Carignane, Mataro, Petite Sirah, and, of course, Zinfandel that dates back to the late nineteenth century. Contra Costa County is just under an hour east of San Francisco and south of Napa. Vines have thrived here for decades, if not centuries, as the dry, sandy solid is naturally resistant to phylloxera, a vine louse that has plagued much of the wine world. The Zinfandel vines at Del Barba Ranch are head-trained (aka goblet-trained). This system of vine training dates back to before the Roman Empire. It features a short and often thick trunk with a few permanent arms that grow additional spurs in season. In the moonlight, old head-trained vineyards look like something out of a Tim Burton movie. The fruit from this vineyard is dense, dark, and bold. This wine shares those qualities while being ideally balanced and complex.

How to Enjoy

This beautiful Zinfandel can be enjoyed today or cellared for another five years. It needs nothing but a glass, but we love it with a grilled leg of lamb or a moderately spicy curry.