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 May Zinfandel of the Month is the 2016 Harney Lane Old Vine Zinfandel Lizzy James Vineyard.
Harney Lane Winery was founded in 2006 by George and Kathy Mettler. The family’s history in the area dates back to the early 1900’s when they began farming vineyards on Harney Lane and the surrounding area. Harney Lane makes a wide variety of wines, but like many wineries in Lodi, they are perhaps best know for their Zins.
I chose the 2016 Lizzy James Vineyard Zinfandel as my Zinfandel of the Month as I had simply never tried anything from Harney Lane and the Lizzy James is one of their more acclaimed wines. I won the bottle at the ZAP “Shelter in Place” Auction.
Lizzy James Vineyard was first planted in 1904 and is situated in the Mokelumne River AVA of Lodi.
Crimson in color. 15.5% ABV. Awesome nose of red and black fruits, licorice and pepper. Medium to full bodied with medium acidity. Plush, silky and modern in style. Well balanced. Black cherry, raspberry liqueur, earth and cracked black pepper on the palate. Tremendous length on the finish. Everything I love about Lodi Zinfandel. Perfect with chicken kabobs on a warm Spring night in Seattle. Best over the next 2-3 years.
My rating: 92 points.
The 2017 version of this wine is available at the winery and retail for $36. I look forward to following Harney Lane in the years to come.