Deep ruby. Aromas of blueberry, cassis, cola and smoky minerals, with vanilla and spice nuances. Supple and expansive, offering intense, deep dark berry and floral pastille flavors that put on weight with air.. A zesty mineral quality gives cut and lift to the finish, which is firmed by dusty tannins.

A rich, voluptuous wine, the 2012 Zinfandel Highwire Vineyard is racy and intense to the core, with plenty of Russian River exuberance. Dark red berries, flowers and sweet spices round out the finish. Imagine Russian River Pinot meets Zinfandel, and you get a pretty good sense what the Highwire is all about. The Highwire is a parcel of 100 year-old vines, half of which is head-trained.

Deep ruby. High-pitched dark berry and floral scents are complemented by deeper-pitched notes of licorice and black cardamom. Sweet and expansive on the palate, offering spice-accented black and blue fruit flavors and a touch of bitter chocolate. A late jolt of minerality adds energy and finishing cut, with supple tannins lending shape.

A muscular red, offering a potent mix of dense fruit and powerfully structured acidity and tannins. White pepper, boysenberry and loamy mineral aromas lead to deep blueberry, raspberry and anise flavors. Hands-off for now.

Dark red cherries, plums, tobacco, menthol, licorice and new leather meld together in Hartford's 2012 Zinfandel Fanucchi-Wood Road Vineyard. The 2012 boasts plenty of mid-palate depth and richness to match its brooding, intense personality. Hints of tobacco and licorice reappear on the finish.

Offers distinctive fresh thyme and boysenberry aromas, with complex but slightly tight blueberry, spicy dried sage and mineral flavors. Finishes with ripe yet firm tannins. Best from 2015 through 2020.

The 2011 Zinfandel Jolene's Vineyard is laced with sweet tobacco, wild flowers, sage and rosemary. The style is less obvious than in many of the other wines in this range, instead, the Jolene's relies on its energy and focus to impress, which it does quite nicely. The finish is all about precision and nuance. Jolene's emerges from a parcel of 100+-year-old head-trained vines. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2019.

They say the vineyard is over 100 years old. It shows intensely concentrated flavors of wild raspberries, with vanilla, white pepper, sandalwood and exotic baking spice notes. A hint of blueberry marks the finish. Drink this heady, delicious Zin now and until 2019.

Dark purple. Sappy, liqueur-like aromas of fresh cherry and raspberry. Intense and concentrated but lively, with appealing sweetness to its sappy red fruit flavors. The raspberry notes lingers with excellent tenacity on the finish, which is lifted by zesty acidity and shows a touch of youthfully bitter tannins. Made from century-old vines, half head-trained and half trained on wires.

Glass-staining purple. Pungent red berry preserve and bitter cherry aromas show excellent clarity. Rich and surprisingly lively, offering broad black and blue fruit flavors and a jolt of peppery spices. Closes on a sweet floral pastille note, with subtle tannins providing grip. Hartford told me that there's a little bit of petite sirah in here.

Sleek yet densely structured, with boysenberry, mineral and anise aromas that lead to layered, focused flavors or tart plum, white pepper and herb.

Youthful purple color. Intensely perfumed nose evokes red and dark berries, potpourri and Indian spices. Rich and smooth in texture but surprisingly lithe, offering juicy raspberry and mulberry flavors complicated by notes of candied flowers and star anise. Supple tannins add shape to the long, sappy, floral finish.

Outstanding '08s: densely packed with fruit but still elegant.

Bright ruby. High-pitched aromas of crushed dark berries, bitter chocolate, licorice and Indian spices. Juicy, dense and spicy, with sappy, intense dark berry flavors lifted by zesty minerality. Quite dry but ripe and penetrating, with a building element of exotic Christmas spices. Finishes with gentle tannins and very good persistence. These vines reportedly average around 85 years of age.

The least expensive offering is the 2008 Zinfandel Russian River, a dark ruby/purple-hued effort displaying a big, ripe nose of black raspberries, briery mountain fruit, pepper, spice, and earth with a hint of wood smoke in the background. Full-bodied, fleshy, and rich, this impressive Zinfandel can be drunk over the next 4-5 years. …proprietors Don and Jennifer Hartford not only produce superb Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs, but also some of the finest Zinfandels made in northern California.

Made from an old (some vines are over 100 years of age), dry-farmed, head-trained vineyard, the 2008 Zinfandel Jolene's Vineyard reveals a deep ruby/purple hue as well as a perfume of ground pepper, vanilla, barbecue smoke, black cherries, and blacker berries. With full body as well as invigorating, fresh acidity, it cuts a broad swath across the palate, and easily hides its lofty alcohol. It is a fragrant Zinfandel, and the tart acids seem to keep everything in balance. Enjoy it over the next 4-5 years. …proprietors Don and Jennifer Hartford not only produce superb Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs, but also some of the finest Zinfandels made in northern California.

Ruby-red. Black raspberry, smoked meat and flowers on the nose. Graceful red and dark berry flavors stain the palate without conveying any excess weight. Extremely fresh and focused zinfandel with excellent finishing clarity and spiciness. There's a pinot-like quality to this wine that's very appealing.

Few Zinfandels are this focused and complete. Displays boysenberry, white pepper and loam aromas, with a structure that balances ripeness and complexity, showing flavors of wild berry, licorice and cinnamon. Drink now through 2014.

Made from an average of 85-year-old vines; elegant and wonderfully juicy, with velvety texture, ripe plum and luscious black raspberry.

Glass-staining purple. Powerful blackberry and cassis aromas are complicated by incense, Asian spices and lavender. Deep, sappy and sweet, offering pure dark berry preserve flavors, terrific mineral lift and fine-grained tannins. Impressively balances richness against elegance, with outstanding finishing thrust and lingering dark fruits.

Saturated purple. Heady, smoky dark berry aromas accented by exotic, pungent spices. Deep and chewy, with ripe, sweet boysenberry and cherry fruit flavors supported by solid tannins. Really expands on the back but retains an elegant quality, finishing with an alluring silkiness.

Boasts copious quantities of blackberry, licorice, peppery, fiery fruit and spice, good underlying acidity, and a full-throttle, blockbuster finish. Consume it over the next 7-8 years.

Reveals a dark ruby/purple color along with an elegant, Pinot Noir-like nose of crushed rocks, raspberries, and briery boysenberry fruit. Medium to full-bodied, ripe, extraordinarily well-balanced, and elegant, it should drink well for 5-7 years.

Deep ruby. Captivating, vibrant aromas of cassis, blackberry, bitter chocolate, licorice and white pepper, lifted by mint. Large-scaled and broad on the palate, with sweet, lush flavors of crushed cassis, black cherry and pepper, enlivened by fresh, will-integrated acidity. Finishes with big, toungue-dusting tannins that reach the front teeth. Serious zinfandel with personality.

Good medium ruby. Vibrant, highly aromatic nose combines blackberry, violet, white pepper, cedar and toasty oak. Juicy and firmly built, with concentrated dark berry flavors over a mineral spine. Very fresh, firmly tannic Zinfandel with lovely purity and no excess weight.