Zinfandel fans will celebrate this powerfully ripe, exuberant wine. It’s classic Russian River Zin, dry, tannic, heady and enormously rich in black currants, raisins, prunes, beef jerky and exotic baking spices. The finish is so fruity, it’s almost sweet, yet is actually quite dry, making it clean and zesty.
Vivid ruby-red. Lively, perfumed aromas of red berries, minerals, potpourri and spicecake. Silky and energetic in the mouth, with impressive intensity and focus to the vibrant raspberry and lavender pastille flavors. Finishes tangy, floral and very long, leaving mineral and spice notes behind. I wish more zins were made in this elegant style.
This deep, dark red is quite ripe, but has such powerful acidity that the balance holds beautifully. Aromas of huckleberry and licorice meet dense flavors of blackberry, toasty vanilla and loamy mineral.
Bright purple. Powerful scents of black and blue fruit preserves, floral oils and cola, with exotic Asian spices adding complexity. Broad and pliant on entry, then tighter in the middle, offering seamless, palate-staining blueberry and mulberry flavors. Shows impressive vivacity on the very long, violet- and licorice-accented finish.
Bright ruby. Sexy, highly complex bouquet of blackberry, blueberry, violet and fruitcake, with a smoky overtone. Weighty yet graceful, offering sweet dark berry flavors with candied violet and clove accents. Impressively fresh and focused for its volume, finishing with strong spiciness and excellent persistence.
Glass-staining ruby. Cool, complex aromas of blueberry, mulberry and dried flowers, complemented by a hint of minerality. Creamy and sweet, but with firm acidity leavening the wine's dark fruit preserve-like flavors. Wonderfully sappy and expansive zin, finishing with smooth tannins and excellent length. These vines are 93 years old, according to Don Hartford, and the wine was raised in two-thirds new oak.
Vivid ruby. Fragrant bouquet of raspberry, red currant, rose, white pepper and smoky, spicy oak, plus a whiff of star anise. Suave and sweet on entry, then tight and minerally in the middle, with lovely lift and perfume to the raspberry, floral pastille and herb flavors. An edge of acidity focuses the wine's sweetness and amplifies the impression of inner-mouth perfume. This has the structure to reward a few years of cellaring but it's pretty delicious now.
Opaque ruby. Explosive aromas of dark berry compote, cola, vanilla bean and incense, along with suggestions of exotic spices and licorice. Large-scaled, broad and impressively deep, with a liqueur-like quality to its boysenberry and mulberry flavors that's given bite by sneaky acidity. Finishes quite sappy and penetrating, with lingering notes of sweet cola and dark berries.
Outstanding '08s: Vibrant yet complex.
Ripe and jammy, but with great structure. Shows luscious aromas of boysenberry and blueberry, with layered, complex flavors of licorice, nutmeg and toasty mocha that linger on the finish. Drink now through 2015.
Inky ruby. Lively aromas of raspberry, cherry skin, lavender and minerals. Nervy, finely etched red fruit flavors gain sweetness and depth with air and pick up a bitter licorice quality. Suave, silky and pure, with enticing finishing clarity and spiciness.
The 2007 Zinfandel High Wire Vineyard exhibits more blue and black fruit characteristics along with notions of damp earth and spice, and a full-bodied, brilliant display of briery black fruits. This spicy, peppery Zinfandel is refreshing, full-bodied, and a total delight to drink. Drink this hedonistic effort over the next 5-6 years.
The deep ruby/purple-tinged 2007 Zinfandel Hartford Vineyard exhibits intense aromas of flowers, black raspberries, and cherries, a full-bodied, rich, layered, opulent style, and a hedonistic display of fireworks. Drink it over the next 4-5 years.
Intense, with Blackberry, lead pencil and cracked pepper aromas and tightly wound plum, bay leaf and licorice notes.
Full medium ruby. Blackberry, smoke, flint, espresso and a whiff of meat on the slightly reduced nose. Lush, layered and rich, with densely packed flavors of raspberry and roast coffee complicated by a saline nuance. Finishes with substantial broad tannins, liqueur-like notes of wild strawberry and raspberry, and a note of dark chocolate. Firm acids give this shape and grip.
Sleek and smooth, jam packed with solid fruit redolent of black cherry, plum, chocolate, cassis, coffee, herbs, licorice, spice and cola. Quite complex, elegant, and long on the finish. An excellent wine from a top-notch producer.
Good full ruby. Bramly blackberry, anise, bitter chocolate and mint on the nose. Very sweet and creamy; offers a much softer, more open texture than the Dina's and comes across as considerably less tannic. But this has more than enough juicy acidity and vinosity to frame its delicious fruit.
This supple, smooth style is a winner with us. Velvety tannins frame a core of black cherry, blackberry, plum, licorice, sweet oak, herbs, toast, tea, coffee and spice flavors. This finish is the elegant, long, and lush, with just enough brightness on the finish.
The 2014 Zinfandel (Russian River Valley) is dark, juicy and flavorful, with plenty of acid kick to prop up the flavors, dark cherry, blackberry, spice and violets are pushed forward. Drink this delicious Zinfandel over the next few years.
...Hartford has a stellar record over the years across everything it produces, and this Chardonnay doesn't disappoint. It's bone dry and high in acidity, with a stony minerality that frames controlled peach, pear and mango fruit. The wine has that hard-to-define quality of elegant class.
2018 Pacific Northwest Rose Report This limited release Rose is a striking effort from this estate. Made from Pinot Noir grapes, this starts off with wild mushroom, red cherry and guava on the nose. The palate reveals a silky texture, leading to ripe strawberry, guava and cran-raspberry flavors. Crisp and delightful for a hot summer day, this outstanding effort shows both lovely poise, elegance and weight from this exciting vintage in the Willamette Valley.
USA, Oregon: 2016 Vintage – Part Two The 2016 Upland Pinot Noir is pale to medium ruby-purple in color with lovely aromas of dried blue flowers and charcuterie over dried black cherries, blackcurrants and notions of forest oor. Medium-bodied with layers of dark fruit, spice and earth in the mouth, it has wonderful juicy acidity and grainy tannins, finishing on a floral note.
Medium ruby-purple colored, the 2014 Pinot Noir Cascade gives notes of red currants and red cherries with suggestions of garrigue, damp soil and dried leaves. Medium-bodied, the palate gives a great intensity of elegantly expressed red berry and earth flavors, framed by fine, silky tannins and finishing with beautiful poise.
Medium ruby-purple in color, the 2015 Pinot Noir La Premiere has notes of black cherries and black raspberries with hints of chocolate box, anise and tar. Medium-bodied with a firm backbone of chewy tannins and refreshing acid, it offers plenty of mouth-filling flavor and loads of exuberant character, finishing on a spicy note.
The Gran Moraine, in my experience with this and previous vintages, delivers incredible value for pinot noir. The slightly restrained nose wafts boysenberry, dark earth, olive brine, lightly tanned leather and orange zest. Boarding on full bodied, it has velvety tannins and shiny acid that’s well integrated. The substantial depth of this one demands a good decant, and benefits from keeping it in your mouth for an extended period of time to experience its development. I think this has good medium-term aging potential. Flavors hit on pomegranate, acai, plum, black olive, currant, wet soil and juniper berry. 92 pts, value A-.