Champagne and Zinfandel
Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve Champagne NV @ $29.98 (reg. $68.99) Winemaker notes: An elegant nose: freshly baked brioche, roasted notes and ripe, sun-kissed fruits – mango, apricot, mirabelle plum, dried fruit, pistachio and almond. Palate: ...fleshy fruits, plums, cherries, amber, vanilla, praline.
Gran Moraine Brut Rosé NV @ $39.99 Yamhill-Carlton, Oregon. Winemaker notes: Our Brut Rosé is a blend of multiple vintages – with each vintage adding distinctive qualities to the final blend. It is the epitome of style, grace, and elegance. Made using the traditional méthode champenoise, our Brut Rosé is a blend of 57 percent Chardonnay and 43 percent Pinot Noir. Aromas: Strawberry shortcake, canned pear, white peach, lightly toasted brioche, rose petals. Flavors: tangerine, kumquat, nectarine on the finish with watermelon rind and lemon meringue pie.
Dry Creek Vineyard Heritage Vines Zinfandel 2018 @ $24.99. Natalie MacLean: From Sonoma County, California Dry Creek Heritage 2018 Zinfandel is produced from old vines Zin, juicy with a mouthful of black cherry, purple plums, crushed raspberry, wild herbs, anise and savoury spice flavours generous on the palate. Tannins are fine-grained and there is great acidity for food on this Zin to pour with burgers and ribs from the grill.
Seghesio Zinfandel 2020 @ $20, Sonoma County. Winemaker notes: Our Sonoma Zinfandel represents our ideal expression of Sonoma County Zinfandel in any given vintage. Crafted from an average selection of more than 150 individual lots that are harvested from vineyards across Sonoma County, fermented separately and masterfully blended, it is bright, richly fruited, bold, and always balanced. Tasting Notes: An expressive burst of aromas of deep dark fruits lead into layered tones of lifted red fruit and a soft, luscious mid-palate. A juicy, vibrant entry with notes of black cherry, black raspberry, fig, baking spice and fresh Santa Rosa plum; supple, textured tannins and acidity on the long, complex finish.
Seghesio Old Vine Zinfandel 2018 @ $39.99, Sonoma County: Winemaker Tasting Notes: Notes of ripe blackberry, baking spices and underbrush fill the bouquet. A rich entry of plum and cherry compote give way to a full mid-palate of smooth tannins and intense structure. This wine comes from the old head-pruned vineyards in Alexander and Dry Creek valleys farmed by the multi-generational Passalacqua and Saini families for Seghesio. The older vines devigorized root system produces less, yet more intense, fruit highlighting Zinfandel’s briary spice characteristic. 9% Petite Sirah and 4% Alicante Bouschet
Turley Old Vine Zinfandel 2017 @ $31.99: Zinfandel 95%, Mataro (Mourvèdre), Alicante Bouschet, Petite Syrah, Grenache, Cinsault 5%. Winemaker note: Old Vines is composed of a variety of old sites from California that are either too small to be made into a vineyard designate wine or are “new” to the Turley family (and way of farming). Vines are anywhere from 50 to 130 years old, and a true representation of California old vine Zinfandel, hailing from vineyards in Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, Lodi, Contra Costa, Amador and Paso Robles. Old vines produce a naturally more complex, balanced, and sustainable wine. Young vines tend to be vigorous and high yielding for a short period of time (16-20 years) before most wineries rip them up and replant, to keep yields at a maximum. Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate: Medium to deep ruby-purple in color, the 2017 Zinfandel Old Vines features exotic spice accents over a core of blueberry and boysenberry compote, crushed black cherries and berries with notes of cinnamon stick and potpourri. Medium to full-bodied, it has loads of spicy black and blue fruits in the mouth with firm, ripe tannins to frame and juicy acidity, finishing long and very spicy.