This is based on samples provided by the winery or organization acting on their behalf.

 

 

 

2011 Ridge Lytton Springs

2012 Dutcher Crossing Zinfandel Bernier-Sibary Vineyard

2011 Dry Creek Vineyard Zinfandel Beeson Ranch

 

 

Field Blend Zinfandel from Dry Creek Valley

ZAP (Zinfandel Advocates & Producers’ annual festival) was held on January 23-25^th.  I was invited by Anne Alderete of McCue Marketing Communications to participate in a special virtual tasting for those unable to make the trip to San Francisco.  On Wednesday, January 22nd, three zinfandels were showcased that were made in an “old school” style — called “field blend Zins”.  These were all from the Dry Creek Valley, an AVA in Sonoma County that has been setting the bar for Zinfandel for more than 100 years.  These Field Blend Zins are primarily zinfandel, but are grown and picked together with a small percentage of other grapes; the fruit is then co-fermented.

 

The Dry Creek Valley is a 16 miles long, 2 mile wide valley that is the home to over 9,000 acres of vineyards.  The valley has been the home to vineyards for 140 years.  The Dry Creek Valley has one of the densest concentrations of Old Vine Zinfandel vineyards in the world

 

The winemakers participating in the event:

John Olney of Ridge Lytton Springs

Kerry Damskey of Dutcher Crossing Winery

Nova Perrill, Assistant Winemaker of Dry Creek Vineyard

 

 

You can view the video of the chat by visiting the site by clicking here.

 

 

 

The line-up for this tasting:

 

 

2011 Ridge Lytton Springs – SRP $38

This is a blend of 82% Zinfandel, 16% Petite Sirah and 2% Carignane.

 

The wine has 14.4% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep, dark ruby to purple color.  The nose has brambly berries, roasted herbs, white pepper, scorched earth, minerals and wild flowers.  This has medium body, moderate tannins and good acidity.  On the palate was initially restrained, with some air berries and minerals came through up front with roasted herbs, pepper and earthiness on the back end.  Nice length with some dark chocolate coming into the picture.  This was very balanced and much more open and flavorful on the second day.  I’d recommend sitting on this one for a few months or give it some air.  (91 pts)

 

 

2012 Dutcher Crossing Zinfandel Bernier-Sibary Vineyard – SRP $43

This is a blend of 75% Zinfandel, 10% Petite Sirah, 10% Carignane and 5% Matero (Mourvedre).

 

The wine has 14.9% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep ruby to maroon color.  The nose has brambly berries, earth, smoke, black cherries, minerals and underbrush.  This has medium to full body, moderate tannins and good acidity.  On the palate there are rich berries, minerals and smoke up front with building earthiness on the back end.  This has a long lush finish.  This is a smooth and rich style of zin that should impress most Zinfandel fans.  (93 pts)

 

 

2011 Dry Creek Vineyard Zinfandel Beeson Ranch – SRP $38

This is a blend of 85% Zinfandel and 15% Petite Sirah.

 

The wine has 13.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a medium to dark ruby color.  The nose has berries, cherry, minerals, baking spices and licorice.  This has medium body, moderate to solid tannins and good acidity.  On the palate there are berries and tart cherries up front with spice, pepper and minerals coming in on the back end.  This has decent length on the finish with some dried earth coming in.  The wine was better on the second day with some added lushness and smoother tannins.  (87 pts)

 

 

Conclusion

This was a very enjoyable event with one of my all time favorite wines in this category, the Ridge Lytton Springs.  The event also included a new winery for me, Dutcher Cross, which I will actively search for in the future.  The Dry Creek Vineyard wine wasn’t shabby and would make any evening meal a much nicer experience.

 

I want to say thanks to McCue Marketing Communications and specifically Anne Aldrete for including me in the event.  I also have to express my gratitude to the wineries for supplying the wines for the tasting.

 

 

 

Connect with me

You can follow me on Twitter for more wine info, potential food pairings, and an occasional recipe or two.  Be warned, I’m also a sports fan and there are occasional Pittsburgh Penguins, Steelers, and Pirates tweets.  I attended the University of South Carolina, so during football season, there will also be some Gamecock posts.

 

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Cheers!

 

 

This is original to CliffsWinePicks.com.  Copyright 2013 Cliff’s Wine Picks.

All rights reserved.

 

 

 

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Here is a link to a YouTube video of me getting “coal” from Santa for being named the “Nicest Person in Social Media” in 2012.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOvQTeGR3-c

 

 

 

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Notes – I use the “official” Cellar Tracker name for the wines.  I use Cellar Tracker to help manage and organize my cellar.  I highly recommend checking it out at www.cellartracker.com.  Loading you existing cellar is a lot less intimidating than it would first appear.  There is a good chance 99% of your wine is already in the system, so you generally only need to enter part of the wine’s name and the system will find it for you.

 

 

Prices noted are the prices I paid at the time of purchase.  I don’t shop around to find the best prices, but my local store is usually VERY competitive.  I generally get case discounts, and since I work there part time, I get a 5% discount.  Wines purchased direct from a winery do not include any shipping charges.  None of the prices include the sales tax.

 

 

All wines that were sent to me free of charge to sample will be noted and I will show suggested prices when available.

 

 

 

Cheers!