The 2016 Zinfandel (Russian River Valley) is fresh, fruity and forward, all qualities that make it a terrific choice for drinking now and over the next decade or so. Ripe red cherry, plum, spice and cola are pushed forward in this racy, succulent Zinfandel. Soft contours and bright acids add to the wine's considerable appeal. Simply put, the 2016 is gorgeous.

Already bottled, the deep garnet-purple colored 2016 Hartford Zinfandel is scented of baked blueberries, stewed plums and kirsch with touches of raspberry leaves, dried herbs, spice box and new leather. Full-bodied, firmly textured and with a lively backbone, it gives a great intensity of blue and black berry preserves, finishing long and spicy.

The inky colored 2016 Zinfandel Russian River Valley Old Vine is a blend from all five of the vineyards they use for their single vineyard Zinfandels. Blueberries, blood orange, violets, and exotic spice notes, medium body, beautiful mid-palate depth, and sweet tannin all define this juicy, undeniably delicious beauty. Drink it over the coming 7-8 years.

Medium-dark to dark purplish ruby; very attractive, rich, ripe, intense, spicy, briary, red, blue, and black berry fruit aroma with notes of dried herbs and black pepper; full body; rich, ripe, concentrated, briary, black raspberry and blackberry jam flavors with good depth and acid balance, and notes of mocha and black pepper; full tannin; lingering aftertaste. Very appealing to drink now with its forward rich fruit, though also worthy of a few more years of bottle aging. Very highly recommended.

Medium-dark purplish ruby color; very attractive, forward, rich, intense, spicy, raspberry, blueberry, and blackberry fruit aroma with hints of dried herbs and black pepper; full body; big, deep, ripe, concentrated, nicely balanced, red and dark berry fruit flavors with briary and herbal notes, and a rich mouthfeel; full tannin; long, lingering aftertaste. Very approachable and appealing to drink now, though worthy of several more years of bottle aging. Very highly recommended.

A bruiser, powerfully built and loaded with personality, offering currant, tar and licorice flavors that plow toward big but resolved tannins. Not for the faint of heart.

Blending five of the producer's vineyard-designates, all dry-farmed and old-vine, this is a high-acid red with hearty spice and components of dried herb, cedar and oak. Supple and rich, it's distinctively savory and tart on the midpalate and finish, finishing in a blur of pepper.

From head-trained vines planted more than a century ago, then aged in French oak, this is a bold, plum-driven expression of cherry and berry pie seasoned in cinnamon that's structured and exuberantly full bodied. It offers a bright streak of acidity that keeps it succulent in the glass.

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.