Ripe and well-built, with a core of vibrant acidity, offering floral black raspberry and bay leaf aromas and layered blueberry and cherry flavors, accented by crushed rock, white pepper and anise hints.

Ripe and well-built, with a core of vibrant acidity, offering floral black raspberry and bay leaf aromas and layered blueberry and cherry flavors, accented by crushed rock, white pepper and anise hints.

Catches your attention with a distinctive aroma of fresh pine trees, then follows through with complex, focused flavors of raspberry, licorice and mineral. Ripe overall, but bright acidity keeps this balanced.

Catches your attention with a distinctive aroma of fresh pine trees, then follows through with complex, focused flavors of raspberry, licorice and mineral. Ripe overall, but bright acidity keeps this balanced. Drink now through 2025.

Dark purplish ruby; forward, deep, ripe, intense, briary, slightly jammy, raspberry and blackberry fruit aroma with hints of tobacco and baking spices; full body; rich, ripe, concentrated, plummy, red and black fruit flavors with good depth and acidity, and a plush mouthfeel; full tannin; lingering aftertaste. Very appealing to drink and savor now, while also having some aging potential. Very highly recommended.

Compact and rather brooding, the personality still shines through. Eucalyptus and boysenberry aromas slowly open to complex, dense flavors of smoky blueberry, mineral and spicy anise. The tannins are big but the acidity keeps this moving.

Compact and rather brooding, though the personality still shines through. Eucalyptus and boysenberry aromas slowly open to complex, dense flavors of smoky blueberry, mineral and spicy anise. The tannins are big but the acidity keeps this moving. Best from 2018 through 2026.

A bold, immediate wine, the 2014 Zinfandel Dina's Vineyard offers plenty of up-front intensity and concentration. Dark cherry, blueberry, spice and menthol are all pushed forward. There is not shortage of depth or intensity, but I find fewer shades of dimension and a bit less to engage the senses than in some of the other wines. The 2014 Dina's is delicious, but the competition is pretty intense in this range of superb Zinfandels from Hartford.

Plump and burly in structure but keenly focused and complex. Aromas of jammy black raspberry and mint open to layered flavors of smoky plum, crushed stone and cracked pepper. The tannins are big but fleshy.

Bright ruby. Intense red and dark berry scents show very good energy and pick up a dark chocolate note with air. Sappy black raspberry and bitter chocolate flavors are enlivened by juicy acidity, which adds bite to the back half. Closes with building, fine-grained tannins, an echo of bitter chocolate and excellent persistence.

This Zin is powerful and brooding, but the personality shines through. Mineral, fresh anise and raspberry aromas lead to dense, complex flavors of boysenberry, cracked pepper and sage. Finishes with bright acidity and firm but ripe tannins.

Powerful and brooding, but the personality shines through. Aromas of mineral, fresh anise and raspberry lean toward dense, complex flavors of boysenberry, cracked pepper and sage. Finishes with bright acidity and firm but ripe tannins. Best from 2017 through 2022.

The dense purple-hued 2012 Zinfandel Fanucchi-Wood Road Vineyard offers plenty of peppery, black cherry and black currant fruit along with hints of licorice, underbrush and roasted Provencal herbs. It was aged in 42% new French oak and came in with the lowest alcohol of these five Zinfandels, 14.6%. It should drink well for 4-6 years.

Rich and supple, balanced by good structure, offering wild berry and spicy caramel aromas that lead to ripe and jammy cherry flavors, showing accents of dried herb and licorice. The tannins tighten up on the finish. Drink now through 2020.

If you’re tired of Zinfandels that are unbalanced and inelegant, try this one. Yes, the alcohol is high, but it folds perfectly into everything else. The vineyard is in the Olivet Road part of the valley, which in many ways represents the ideal terroir of the Russian River. You’ll find brisk acidity and firm tannins in this wine, but also ripely appealing blackberry, cherry, cola and briary wild chamomile flavors. This seriously good wine will age until 2022.

Opaque purple. Explosive, very ripe aromas of black raspberry, Indian spices, licorice and mocha. Sweet and fat on the palate, with an exotic spicecake quality to its dark berry and floral pastille flavors. Fleshy, harmonious zin, with excellent finishing clarity and lingering spiciness. These vines are over a century old, according to Hartford.

A wine of considerable muscle and depth, the 2011 Zinfandel Highwire Vineyard stands apart for its plushness and richness. Layers of dark, floral-infused red/black hued fruit saturate the palate. The 2011 is gorgeous today, but it should also age nicely for at least a handful of years. The Highwire is one of the more overtly fruit-driven Zinfandels in this range. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2021.

At 98 years of age, the vineyard certainly qualifies as old vine, which isn’t the case with all wines so labeled. Who really knows what varieties actually constitute these ancient vineyards, but this wine is certainly rich in Zinfandel character. The wild raspberry and cherry fruits have a briary edge, suggesting the tartness of Dr. Pepper cola, the nettles of summer chamomile and the savoriness of green peppercorn. There’s little question that the wine will age well, but there’s no reason not to drink it now, with proper decanting.

Saturated ruby. Ripe black and blue fruits on the nose and palate. Exotic Asian spice and floral nuances gain power with air, along with a touch of candied licorice. Weighty but energetic, with strong finishing cut and smooth, well-knit tannins that add grip.

Big, bold, brawny yet strangely elegant, this Zin holds plenty of appeal. The vineyard is 96 years old, giving the wine unusual concentration and complexity. It’s one of the winery’s riper 2011 Zins, massive in wild raspberries, cherries and prunes, with spicy notes of black pepper and a nice touch of smoky oak.

Opaque purple. Extremely fragrant, with red and dark berry aromas and suggestions of anise and fresh rose. Smells and tastes like a ripe pinot, with elegant raspberry and blackberry flavors and supple, seamless texture. Finishes smooth and long, with resonating spiciness and well-judged tannins. This is surprisingly delicious now but I'd let it age for at least a few years. As with the rest of these zins, from a vineyard that was planted over 100 years ago.

Elegant, supple and well-structured, with raspberry and spice aromas and appealing cherry, tart blueberry and vanilla flavors, finishing with crisp minerality. Drink now through 2020