Welcome to the latest installment of The Week in Zinfandel. If I missed your post or story please send me a link and I will be sure to include it next week. Tim McKirdy writes The 5 Best Trader Joe’s Wines According to VinePair Readers. Tim Carl writes Lodi Rising: The Region’s Wines are Taking off and the World is Watching.…
Author: Tom Lee
2013 Sandlands Carignane Mendocino County – Bottle Notes
Sandlands is the personal project of Tegan and Olivia Passalacqua. Tegan is the Winemaker and Vineyard Manager at Turley. The line-up encompasses some of the forgotten classic California varieties, primarily grown in decomposed granite from regions and vineyards that have been farmed for many generations but have remained the outliers of California viticulture. The wines made at Sandlands include Syrah,…
2009 Williams Selyem Pinot Noir Sonoma County – Bottle Notes
Williams Selyem Winery began when Ed Selyem and Burt Williams started making wine as a hobby in 1979 in Forestville, California. Their first commercial release was in 1981, and in less than two decades they created a cult-status winery of international acclaim. Setting a new standard for Pinot Noir winemaking, they put Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley at the forefront…
The Week in Zinfandel (6/4/18)
Welcome to the latest installment of The Week in Zinfandel. If I missed your post or story please send me a link and I will be sure to include it next week. Randy Caparoso writes Why Big Time Producers like Neyers and Ridge are Mining Lodi for Zinfandel. Chris Walker writes Zinfandel: The American Wine. Ken’s Wine Guide reviews the…
1996 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon – Bottle Notes
Chateau Montelena dates back to 1882 when Albert Tubbs bought 254 acres of property just north of Calistoga. Tubbs planted vines and by 1896 Montelena was the 7th largest winery in California. Winemaking came to an end with the onset of Prohibition. The current iteration of Montelena can be traced to 1968, when Jim Barrett was brought on as a…
2014 Turley Zinfandel Old Vines – Bottle Notes
Turley Wine Cellars was founded in 1993 by Larry Turley and specializes in small lots of Zinfandel and Petite Sirah from some of California’s most historic and treasured vineyards. Turley now makes right around 28 separate wines from 35 different vineyards, some with vines that date back to the late 1800’s. Tegan Passalacqua is the Director of Winemaking at Turley and…
Zinfandel of the Month – 2016 Seghesio Zinfandel Sonoma County
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 June Zinfandel of the Month is the 2016 Seghesio Zinfandel Sonoma County. Seghesio Family Vineyards was established…
The Week in Zinfandel (5/28/18)
Welcome to the latest installment of The Week in Zinfandel. If I missed your post or story please send me a link and I will be sure to include it next week. Randy Caparoso writes Lodi’s Mettler Family and Chef Bradley Ogden Team up for a Culinary Tour de Force. Alder Yarrow reviews the 2016 Ridge Geyserville. Grapelive reviews the 2016…
1998 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape – Bottle Notes
Chateau de Beaucastel, located in Courthezon in the Southern Rhone Valley, has over 250 acres of organic vineyards. Unlike many Rhone Valley producers, Beaucastel grows all 13 of the grapes permitted in the appellation and the estate uses an unusually high percentage of Mourvèdre in its red wines, usually around 30%, along with 30% Grenache and smaller amounts of Syrah,…
2011 Force Majeure CS II Syrah – Bottle Notes
Force Majeure was founded in 2004 by Paul McBride and made its name pairing some of Washington’s highly acclaimed winemakers with fruit from one of Washington’s highly acclaimed vineyards, Ciel du Cheval. The winery recently transitioned from Collaboration wines to Estate wines. Todd Alexander, formerly of Bryant Family Vineyards, is the winemaker for the Estate Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. There is also…