Limerick Lane Cellars is in the Russian River Valley just south of the town of Healdsburg. The Del Fava family planted the oldest currently producing vineyard at Limerick Lane in 1910, a field blend consisting mostly of Zinfandel. In 1977, the Del Favas sold their thirty acre property to brothers Michael and Tom Collins. The two brothers began by selling some of the grapes to local wineries including De Loach, Ravenswood and Gary Farrell. In 1985, Limerick Lane Cellars was created. By 2009, Mike Collins was ready to sell and asked his neighbor Jake Bilbro if he would like to buy Limerick Lane and the Collins Vineyard. Several years ago the winery was sold again to Karen Francis DeGolia.
Karen purchased Limerick Lane from Jake Bilbro in 2022 but her history with the winery dates back to the early 90’s. Karen was engaged to Limerick Lane founder and winemaker Tom Collins. When Tom unexpectedly passed away Karen moved away to pursue other interests. Karen returned to Limerick Lane in 2002 in a variety of roles before leaving again in 2004. When Jake put the winery up for sale during the pandemic Karen jumped at the chance to buy it.
2021 Limerick Lane Zinfandel 1910 Block – Purple in color. 14.9% ABV. Sublime nose of red fruits, anise, peach and pepper. Medium to full bodied with tremendous acidity. Well balanced. Rich, lush fruits in spades. Black cherry, raspberry, plums and pepper on the palate. Exceptional length on the finish. Stunning Zinfandel from the oldest block of Limerick Lane Vineyard. This will age well. Best over the next 4-6 years. My rating: 95 points.
2021 Limerick Lane Zinfandel Marquis – Crimson in color. 15.2% ABV. The flagship Zinfandel from Limerick Lane is sourced from Banfield, Carlisle, Maffei, Monte Rosso, Limerick Lane and Bedrock Vineyards. Brilliant nose of red fruits, citrus, baking spices and pepper. Perfectly balanced. Tremendous structure and concentration. Packed with bright, juicy fruits. Cherry liqueur, raspberry compote, blood orange and pepper on the palate. Tremendous length on the finish. My experience with Limerick Lane goes back almost 30 years and this is certainly one of the best wines they have ever made. Best over the next 3-5 years. My rating: 97 points.
Reviews based on samples provided by the winery.
Limerick Lane Cellars is one of the very best Zinfandel producers in the Russian River Valley. The winery has not missed a beat with Karen Francis DeGolia running the show. I look forward to following the winery in the years to come.