Zinfandel of the Month is a regular feature on Zinfandel Chronicles. Keep in mind that although the Zinfandel of the Month might be an older bottle, the current vintage will be one you can find at retail or via the mailing list.
The August Zinfandel of the Month is the 2015 AldenAlli Zinfandel Limerick Lane Vineyard.
AldenAlli is a collaboration between the families Dan Kosta and Emeril Lagasse. The winery is named after their wifes Alli Kosta and Alden Lagasse. The initial release was a 2013 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir. In 2015 the lineup expanded to include a single vineyard Pinot Noir from Campbell Ranch and a Zinfandel from Limerick Lane Vineyard. Shane Finley is the winemaker at AldenAlli.
Limerick Lane Vineyard is just south of Healdsburg at the end of Limerick Lane. The vineyard was planted around 1910 by Mario Del Fava and has only been farmed by 3 families in the last 100 years. The fruit goes to Limerick Lane, Carlisle, AldenAlli and Bedrock.
Bright crimson in color. 14.1% ABV. Sensational nose of red and black fruits, white pepper and flowers. Medium body, claret style Zinfandel with mouth watering acidity. Light, juicy and refreshing. Black cherry, raspberry, salmonberry and pepper on the palate. The finish is long and spicy. Lots to like with the first Zinfandel produced by AldenAlli and I’m certainly looking forward to upcoming releases. Best over the next 2-4 years.
My rating: 93 points.
AldenAlli is just getting started. The 2016 version of this wine will be released early next year. I trust Dan Kosta and encourage readers to consider signing up for the mailing list.
I previously wrote about AldenAlli in Three Mailers to Consider.