The June installment of Pick My Next Bottle focuses on Old Vine Zinfandel from the the 2011 vintage. As I mentioned in the first installment, the purpose of this series is to provide insight into specific wines or producers you may currently have in your cellar. The winning bottle will be opened on Saturday and a Bottle Note will be published the following week.
The 2011 growing season was quite challenging for many California Winemakers. Cool weather up and down the coast slowed ripening. In many cases frost decreased yields and rain late in the harvest led to the the potential for rotten grapes.
The wineries featured below all have meticulous Winemakers who work hard in the vineyard and I am confident to say based on previous tastings that the wines from Bedrock, Carlisle and Turley will not disappoint. That being said it never hurts to check in on bottles in your cellar.
The Contenders
- 2011 Bedrock Wine Co. Zinfandel Saitone Ranch – Bedrock’s 2011 Zinfandel Saitone Ranch jumps from the glass with juicy dark cherries, violets and cloves. A rich, sumptuous wine, the Saitone Ranch boasts stunning depth and richness, but no excess weight at all. It is a striking, breathtakingly beautiful wine. Floral and mineral notes add lift on the bright, chiseled finish. This is a fabulous wine from Morgan Peterson. The Saitone is a field blend consisting of roughly 85% Zinfandel and 15% Petite Sirah, Alicante and assorted other grapes. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2021. 93 points from the Wine Advocate.
- 2011 Carlisle Zinfandel Carlisle Vineyard – The 2011 Zinfandel Carlisle Vineyard is plush, rich and inviting. All sorts of black fruits, smoke, tar and graphite flesh out in this supple, deeply expressive wine. In 2011 the Carlisle is notable for its lush, rich, totally inviting personality. At the same time, it has fabulous detail and nuance for such a big, explosive wine. The tannins remain firm, but there is more than enough density in the fruit to provide balance. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2026. 94 points from Wine Advocate.
- 2011 Turley Zinfandel Ueberroth Vineyard – The 2011 Zinfandel Ueberroth Vineyard shows why this Paso Robles vineyard is so admired. A wine of uncommon grace, the Ueberroth possesses gorgeous depth and sheer purity from start to finish. The aromas and flavors are darker than in the two other Paso Zinfandels in the Turley lineup. I can’t wait to taste the 2011 again once it is in bottle. 95 points from the Wine Advocate.
Which 2011 Old Vine Zinfandel Should I Open
- Turley Zinfandel Ueberroth Vineyard (40%, 19 Votes)
- Bedrock Wine Co. Zinfandel Saitone Ranch (30%, 14 Votes)
- Carlisle Zinfandel Carlisle Vineyard (30%, 14 Votes)
Total Voters: 47
Loading ...Thanks for voting! I’d love to see a comment below on why you picked one bottle over another.
Also, let me know if you have any suggestions for the July Installment of Pick My Next Bottle.
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Love me some Turley, this is my favorite single vineyard zin from them…
Thanks Mark. My favorite from Turley as well.
As Mark said, Uebberoth is probably my favorite single vineyard zin from Turley. Have a few 2012s in the cellar and would like to see how the 2011 compares.
2011 Carlisle is my pick. I know from experience that Carlisle offers pleasurable drinking pretty much upon release. I think the others need a bit more bottle aging to reach the same pleasurable level. This is my impression although I might be totally off base given I’ve never tried the other two candidates. That said, I do have some 2010 Turley Ueberroth Zinfandel waiting in the bullpen.
Thanks Peter. Will look for your note on the ’10 Turley at some point.
I voted for the Bedrock. I’ve got a bottle or two of it and a bottle of the Carlisle. Who knows how accurate these critic drinking windows are but I feel certain that the Bedrock will drink well now.
The Bedrock appears to be the most ready-to-drink of the trio. Yet it’s currently last in the voting.
Thanks Will. Both the Turley and Carlisle will age well based on previous experience. The vintage issues might factor in though. Not much experience with the Bedrock. Ultimately though this is about what Bottle Note you want to see so vote accordingly.