Joe Martin established St. Francis Vineyard in 1971, planting 22 acres of Chardonnay and the first 60 acres of Merlot in Sonoma Valley. After achieving great success as a grower, Joe opened his own St. Francis Winery in 1979 with his business partner Lloyd Canton. Katie Madigan is the winemaker who oversees the Zinfandel program.
Sourced from a number of family owned Sonoma County vineyards with vines that are 60-110 years of age.
Purple in color. 14.8% ABV. Heady nose of black fruits, licorice and vanilla. Full bodied with strong acidity. Modern in style. Blackberry, raspberry liqueur, cocoa and pepper on the palate. The finish is long and supple. Delicious Zinfandel that is easy to drink. Slightly better than the 2018 version. Best over the next 3-5 years.
My rating: 91 points.
The wine is widely available and should be a go to in the sub $20 Zinfandel category.