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. Chris Pittenger is the Winemaker at Limerick Lane.
Rocky Knoll is the steepest, rockiest part of Limerick Lane Vineyard.
Bright crimson in color. 15.1% ABV. 89% Zinfandel, 7% Syrah and 4% Petite Sirah. Heady nose of red fruits, licorice and flowers. Medium body with medium acidity. Big, rich and ripe. Cherry, raspberry liqueur, plums and white pepper on the palate. Exceptional length on the finish. Bigger than expected from Limerick Lane but delicious nonetheless. Best over the next 1-2 years.
My rating: 92 points.
The 2022 version is available at the winery for $68.
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.