Sky Zinfandel Anyone?

[Robert.A.Jr.]

Ok, bit on the K&L offer, half a case coming. I'll bitch on here if I don't like it, and I'll blame Alfert

I’ll buy it off you, you cheap bastard!

What the f*ck is a Stratus? I only drive trucks. Working man here.

[Vince T]

Was about to buy 6 bottles of the ‘13 Zin, but saw shipping was (from NorCal to SoCal) is ‘zone 4’ and over $30.00. No thanks

Maybe a little late now, but couldn’t you have had them shipped from the Hollywood store? Website said >60 in inventory at Hollywood.

[Al Osterheld]

The 2013 Sky Zinfandel is great, the current K&L price is crazy good and the shipping in California is probably pretty nominal in any civilized part of the state.

-Al

[Tom Lee]

Ok, bit on the K&L offer, half a case coming. I'll bitch on here if I don't like it, and I'll blame Alfert

Wait. I started this thread. Feel free to toss blame my direction. If you don’t like the wine I’ll take it now that K&L has cut off WA.

Tom

[Kirk.Grant]

Now that Bedrock is doing a Sky Vineyard Zinfandel it occurred to me I have never had a Zinfandel from Sky Winery ( http://www.skyvineyards.com/sky/). Morgan seemed to speak reverently of the vineyard. There is not much data in cellartracker. Has anyone tried a bottle before? Can you speak to the style? I think I will have to login into the winery store and try a bottle or two for myself.

Thanks,
Tom

Tom,

I have a father-in-law that tends to prefer Zinfandel over other varietals; I tend to value elegance over power in wine. Sky seems to be a good mid-point for each of us. It's not a wine I want to drink often, but it is a wine I'm happy to drink.

[Carole Meredith]

Did Sky Vineyard get completely razed with the fires this past year?

Believe it was the 2018 fire

It was the 2017 fire and some of the estate survived. Not sure if or when they will make wine again.
They do have some back vintages on sale on their website.

Our neighbor Sky Vineyard was heavily damaged in the October 2017 Nuns Fire. This is the same fire that got us, but when the fire hit Sky, the wind conditions were much more extreme than when it reached our place a day later. Owner and winemaker Lore Olds lost his home and has been living in a trailer on the property ever since. Much of the vineyard was irreparably damaged. They are now rebuilding and replanting but it has been a long haul. They don't have deep pockets and they could really use your support.

[Robert.A.Jr.]

Believe it was the 2018 fire

It was the 2017 fire and some of the estate survived. Not sure if or when they will make wine again.
They do have some back vintages on sale on their website.

Our neighbor Sky Vineyard was heavily damaged in the October 2017 Nuns Fire. This is the same fire that got us, but when the fire hit Sky, the wind conditions were much more extreme than when it reached our place a day later. Owner and winemaker Lore Olds lost his home and has been living in a trailer on the property ever since. Much of the vineyard was irreparably damaged. They are now rebuilding and replanting but it has been a long haul. They don't have deep pockets and they could really use your support.

Thank you for relaying that, Carol. I am planning on ordering more, and will go directly from the winery rather than a retailer that I used before. He is selling the 2013 at the discounted price of $25, which is just a crazy value. He really ought keep the normal list price for it, the wine is that good. They also have the 2014 and 2015 on retail on the website as well.

[Brandon R]

Damn you all. Bought three of the 2013 from the winery. Dang K&L won't ship to blah blah blah.

Excited to try these.

[Marshall Manning]

Ok, bit on the K&L offer, half a case coming. I'll bitch on here if I don't like it, and I'll blame Alfert

If you can afford a trip to Bora Bora you can afford to gamble on a $20 Zin .

[Marshall Manning]

Sold this wine for a full decade and I'll be damned if it wasn't the hardest hand-sell in Zin history. Like all others have said, it's old-school Mountain Zin and it appealed to the exact same three people who were really into J Swan Zin.

The same three people...that's choice, Jason! Of course I like a lot of the Swan Zins, too, although generally the ones that are under 14.5% or so. Above that they get a little boozy for me.

[Todd F r e n c h]

Ok, bit on the K&L offer, half a case coming. I'll bitch on here if I don't like it, and I'll blame Alfert

If you can afford a trip to Bora Bora you can afford to gamble on a $20 Zin .

[Brent S]

I just opened a bottle of the 2013. Not crazy about it. Hard to describe this wine. Almost tastes like some Nebbiolo from the Italian alps. Minimal fruit and some decent structure and minerality but I just can’t pinpoint how to describe the fruit. Tart cherry with a funky finish that has some acidity to it. I can see how John Gillman likes this as he’s into funky things (which I greatly appreciate).

[Greg Gardner]

It opens up with some air. You might try saving half of the bottle and revisiting tomorrow.

[Brent S]

That’s the plan Greg. But it’s been an hour now with no change. I’ll keep an open mind. At $20 It was well worth the risk. A very lean style with tons of acidity that is no longer made. Must be the altitude and maybe this is the “Halcon style” for Zin?

[Al Osterheld]

Different strokes. Personally, I love the wine. Also, I think you are using funky to mean odd or unusual rather than funky aromas.

-Al

[Robert.A.Jr.]

That’s the plan Greg. But it’s been an hour now with no change. I’ll keep an open mind. At $20 It was well worth the risk. A very lean style with tons of acidity that is no longer made. Must be the altitude and maybe this is the “Halcon style” for Zin?

Poor Todd, he loaded up!

[brigcampbell]

That’s the plan Greg. But it’s been an hour now with no change. I’ll keep an open mind. At $20 It was well worth the risk. A very lean style with tons of acidity that is no longer made. Must be the altitude and maybe this is the “Halcon style” for Zin?

Poor Todd, he loaded up!

I'll trade him a couple of bottles his wife and mine like for his 6 pack and I'll give him 50 cents on the dollar!

[Brent S]

Ok guys. Second try here. Wine sat out overnight.
It’s certainly more open and showing more fruit, but this is still lean and mean. Probably great with the right food. I suppose if you know and understand the style this is a great wine, but it’s certainly not typical to bedrock, Carlisle or the other darling vintners of this board. Served blind I’m willing to bet most people on this board would think this is something from a different continent. I previously mentioned high altitude Nebbiolo. Don’t get me wrong, I do like it, but it was not expected. Curious to see what this evolves to in 5+ years

[Robert.A.Jr.]

Ok guys. Second try here. Wine sat out overnight.
It’s certainly more open and showing more fruit, but this is still lean and mean. Probably great with the right food. I suppose if you know and understand the style this is a great wine, but it’s certainly not typical to bedrock, Carlisle or the other darling vintners of this board. Served blind I’m willing to bet most people on this board would think this is something from a different continent. I previously mentioned high altitude Nebbiolo. Don’t get me wrong, I do like it, but it was not expected. Curious to see what this evolves to in 5+ years

Thanks for the honesty. I appreciate this note. I also appreciate the reference point of Italy given that this is Primitivo. Have you tried the Bedrock version of Sky Vineyard? I think you will like it. It’s not as lean as Sky, but it’s 180 degrees different than Carlisle. And nothing like Ridge with its pungent American oak. This is a pretty authentic, transparent expression. I love it. Had a second bottle on back-to-back nights, just finished the last glass. It is lean and mean comparatively but it’s not actually an overly-lean wine in its own right. I found it very juicy and ripe just lifted by some tangy fruits, bramble and crisp acid. Like you, I found both bottles better on the second night. This wine will age.

[Al Osterheld]

My impression is like Robert's, not especially lean and mean except in comparison to a fruit driven, riper, California Zinfandel. I agree that it reflects the mountain fruit aspect of the vineyard location. Both of those qualities are part of what I love about it.

-Al

[R Roberts]

• 2013 Sky Vineyards Zinfandel Mt. Veeder - USA, California, Napa Valley, Mt. Veeder (1/22/2021)
  Flowers and tree sap on the nose. Savory, crunchy red fruit. Medium/high acid, medium/high drying tannins, medium/full body despite a low (for zin) ABV. Despite the lovely nose, and acid/tannin structure that will certainly allow this to keep, its somewhat absent in fruit and guess it will only become more austere with time.
  
  It reminds me a bit of Broc zins, which flirt with the AFWE.

[Brent S]

This is a great wine to serve blind. Nobody would guess it.

[Greg Gardner]

I have a lone bottle of the 2013 Half’n and have no idea of when to open it. I’m assuming it could go a while longer no problem since it’s 50/50 Zin and Syrah. Also I’m assuming it’s a fairly structured Syrah component.

[Marshall Manning]

Ok guys. Second try here. Wine sat out overnight.
It’s certainly more open and showing more fruit, but this is still lean and mean. Probably great with the right food. I suppose if you know and understand the style this is a great wine, but it’s certainly not typical to bedrock, Carlisle or the other darling vintners of this board. Served blind I’m willing to bet most people on this board would think this is something from a different continent. I previously mentioned high altitude Nebbiolo. Don’t get me wrong, I do like it, but it was not expected. Curious to see what this evolves to in 5+ years

Interesting, as I wouldn't peg it as "lean and mean" at all, just something that tastes like wine with acid and structure instead of a big, sweet, alcoholic beverage that many people are used to from Napa. I don't think anyone said it was like Bedrock nor Carlisle? It doesn't have the flavor profile of Nebbiolo for sure, and while it may have acid and tannin like a Chianti Riserva IMO, the fruit is still definitely Zin.

[Brent S]

Marshall, just pointing out that when most people think of Zinfandel, they think of a relatively large scaled high alcohol wine with a massive fruit component. This is the opposite of all of these things. I was expecting something a bit more refined and toned down, but wasn’t expecting this. It’s actually remarkable to me that a Zin could have these characteristics. And definitely that’s not a bad thing, just a very unique wine.

[R Roberts]

I finished the bottle tonight (night 2), and got distinct Willy Wonky Runts. To me it tastes a lot like borderline ripe stemmy-ness. Zinfandel tends to ripen very unevenly, which is why I presume most producers wait for longer hang time which results in higher overall ripeness and ABV. Maybe skirting the ripeness makes for a more intellectual wine, but its not what I think of when I think "zin", nor is it what I think the vast majority of people would.

[Wes Barton]

It's kind of the point that this is a singular wine, an outlier. It's been a long time since I've had one, but I remember a couple '90s version showing a little pyrazine. I brought them up, for some reason or other, chatting with Steve Edmunds, and he lit up. I'll have to pop one soon to see how it compares to back then, but they were rustic, special wines, which I suppose could be "controversial".

[Benjamin Hand]

I really loved my first bottle. Great acidity, bright fruit, and a lovely nose. Served it blind to a friend and he was puzzled -- structure of a nebbiolo but without the right fruit and aromatics. End up guessing a high quality dolcetto if memory serves.

[Todd F r e n c h]

Ok guys. Second try here. Wine sat out overnight.
It’s certainly more open and showing more fruit, but this is still lean and mean. Probably great with the right food. I suppose if you know and understand the style this is a great wine, but it’s certainly not typical to bedrock, Carlisle or the other darling vintners of this board. Served blind I’m willing to bet most people on this board would think this is something from a different continent. I previously mentioned high altitude Nebbiolo. Don’t get me wrong, I do like it, but it was not expected. Curious to see what this evolves to in 5+ years

Interesting, as I wouldn't peg it as "lean and mean" at all, just something that tastes like wine with acid and structure instead of a big, sweet, alcoholic beverage that many people are used to from Napa. I don't think anyone said it was like Bedrock nor Carlisle? It doesn't have the flavor profile of Nebbiolo for sure, and while it may have acid and tannin like a Chianti Riserva IMO, the fruit is still definitely Zin.

Before I dig into my Charles Heidsieck 2012 Brut Millesime for celebrating an incredible BerserkerDay, I have been itching to try this wine.

Frankly, I adore it. I find it brambly, with that bright and energetic blue mountain fruit I love so much, in all red mountain varietals. It's got great structure, it's rich but light on the palate. A steal at $25, truly. I wonder if Brent had a bad bottle, as there's nothing 'lean and mean' or thin about this wine. Brent, do you have any more??

[Marshall Manning]

Cool, glad you liked it Todd.

[Robert.A.Jr.]

Ok guys. Second try here. Wine sat out overnight.
It’s certainly more open and showing more fruit, but this is still lean and mean. Probably great with the right food. I suppose if you know and understand the style this is a great wine, but it’s certainly not typical to bedrock, Carlisle or the other darling vintners of this board. Served blind I’m willing to bet most people on this board would think this is something from a different continent. I previously mentioned high altitude Nebbiolo. Don’t get me wrong, I do like it, but it was not expected. Curious to see what this evolves to in 5+ years

Interesting, as I wouldn't peg it as "lean and mean" at all, just something that tastes like wine with acid and structure instead of a big, sweet, alcoholic beverage that many people are used to from Napa. I don't think anyone said it was like Bedrock nor Carlisle? It doesn't have the flavor profile of Nebbiolo for sure, and while it may have acid and tannin like a Chianti Riserva IMO, the fruit is still definitely Zin.

Before I dig into my Charles Heidsieck 2012 Brut Millesime for celebrating an incredible BerserkerDay, I have been itching to try this wine.

Frankly, I adore it. I find it brambly, with that bright and energetic blue mountain fruit I love so much, in all red mountain varietals. It's got great structure, it's rich but light on the palate. A steal at $25, truly. I wonder if Brent had a bad bottle, as there's nothing 'lean and mean' or thin about this wine. Brent, do you have any more??

Woosh . . . .

And here I thought I was gonna get temporarily banned, having to hang out with old Neal, sipping Cognacs at some seedy DC Bar, reminiscing about the good old days!

[Pat Martin]

You guys are killing me. This really sounds like my kinda wine and a tester bottle was supposed to arrive this Friday, but the shipment was delayed. With frigid weather in the forecast, it could be WEEKS now before I get my chance to go big with Sky.

[Al Osterheld]

To be honest, if the discussion leads you to think it's your kinda wine, it probably is. And, I'm relieved that Todd has a decent palate.

-Al

[Todd F r e n c h]

To be honest, if the discussion leads you to think it's your kinda wine, it probably is. And, I'm relieved that Todd has a decent palate.

-Al

This made me LOL

This is one of the most enjoyable Zinfandels I've had in some time, and it saddens me that the winery is no more

[Al Osterheld]

To be honest, if the discussion leads you to think it's your kinda wine, it probably is. And, I'm relieved that Todd has a decent palate.

-Al

This made me LOL

This is one of the most enjoyable Zinfandels I've had in some time, and it saddens me that the winery is no more

As the preceding discussion probably makes clear, I love this wine. It's the only Zin I've bought in quantity in recent years and I'm thinking about buying more including other vintages. As I recall, you also like the Scherrer Zins, so I already knew you had a decent palate.

I'm guessing (and hoping) they'll survive, sounds like they were replanting.

-Al

[Todd F r e n c h]

To be honest, if the discussion leads you to think it's your kinda wine, it probably is. And, I'm relieved that Todd has a decent palate.

-Al

This made me LOL

This is one of the most enjoyable Zinfandels I've had in some time, and it saddens me that the winery is no more

As the preceding discussion probably makes clear, I love this wine. It's the only Zin I've bought in quantity in recent years and I'm thinking about buying more including other vintages. As I recall, you also like the Scherrer Zins, so I already knew you had a decent palate.

I'm guessing (and hoping) they'll survive, sounds like they were replanting.

-Al

Yes, I read back at Carole's post, whew, replanting is good, but NOT easy or cheap. I just ordered 6 more bottles, and will keep them on the short list for some time.

Scherrer, whose zins I also love, is a totally different style for me - these are richer, bolder. Interesting since some of the discussion was quite the contrary!

[Al Osterheld]

Yes, a challenge for Sky to recover and good to support them. Agree that the Scherrer Zins are a different style, but still in a style I also like. I think a lot of the difference is just Mount Veeder vs Alexander Valley, both a great examples from their appellations.

-Al

[Richard Jen]

Coravin'd two small pours over the past 10 days. Finally pulled the cork and got a different wine (which is not unusal to me).

Not a typical zinfandel but it's clearly a zinfandel. Long bright red fruit finish. I feel the tannin is a bit chalky - still gas in the tank? Need to pick up more.

[Brent S]

Todd, my bottle came from K&L, where yours came from. Guess I just didn’t like the style but sure there’s a possibility that it was flawed which resulted in an austere wine. Can that happen? Anywas, tonight I enjoyed a 2015 Bedrock Papera, which clearly means I’m simply a fruit whore. Turley order going in tomorrow!

[Todd F r e n c h]

Todd, my bottle came from K&L, where yours came from. Guess I just didn’t like the style but sure there’s a possibility that it was flawed which resulted in an austere wine. Can that happen? Anywas, tonight I enjoyed a 2015 Bedrock Papera, which clearly means I’m simply a fruit whore. Turley order going in tomorrow!

Bedrock and Turley...yet you have a Gaja pic as your avatar!!!??

[Robert.A.Jr.]

Todd, my bottle came from K&L, where yours came from. Guess I just didn’t like the style but sure there’s a possibility that it was flawed which resulted in an austere wine. Can that happen? Anywas, tonight I enjoyed a 2015 Bedrock Papera, which clearly means I’m simply a fruit whore. Turley order going in tomorrow!

Of course a flaw can happen, even to one bottle out of an original case of 12. Maybe that one bottle had a bad cork or a bad seal. I didn’t get the sense from your note, however, that the wine was flawed. It just did not seem to fit your more fruit-driven style preference in Zin, which of course is totally fine. I’m just relieved Todd like the wind, I did not want to get stuck banned with Neal.

[Brent S]

I mostly drink old world wines Todd but in this thread we are talking Zin plus the Turley offer just opened up and it seemed appropriate to open a different Zin. I joke about being a fruit whore and Zin does somewhat have a reputation as oftentimes being a fruit bomb. That bedrock was very balanced by the way and Turley seems to have reined it in recently as well.

[P Turk]

Almost 50 in Chicagoland today, so fired up the grill and enjoyed a zintastic Sky with dinner. Cheers!

[Robert.A.Jr.]

Almost 50 in Chicagoland today, so fired up the grill and enjoyed a zintastic Sky with dinner. Cheers!

Awesome! I popped a 2013 on Thursday and have some 2014 coming in this week thanks to Todd F. And, how great was it!?!

PS. That steak looks absolutely fantastic. I did the same thing tonight, grilled some steak, roasted some purple potatoes and sautéed some Portabella mushrooms. Paired it with a Bordeaux instead, however.

[Robert.A.Jr.]

Ok, the 2014 is even better than the 2013. I love that 2013, this 2014 is the same profile with just a little bit more ripeness to the fruit, a bit higher ABV for some heft, but still a broad range of tangy red fruits (even some blood orange tossed in) and venturing into the darks, with a gravelly minerality on the palate that speaks to me about earth, rocks, dirt. Gosh I love this stuff. Could be my favorite California Zin, the freshness is crazy good. The citrus notes really speak to this good ‘old Florida boy. A truly outstanding Zin. An outstanding wine. Just a stoopid stoopid value at the $26.99 that I paid. And the best part was, I got Todd to mule it for me. That’s worth a small fortune.

AE85E669-5BE5-4E5D-B4A2-4B9E5B24A942.jpeg

[P Turk]

Almost 50 in Chicagoland today, so fired up the grill and enjoyed a zintastic Sky with dinner. Cheers!

Awesome! I popped a 2013 on Thursday and have some 2014 coming in this week thanks to Todd F. And, how great was it!?!

PS. That steak looks absolutely fantastic. I did the same thing tonight, grilled some steak, roasted some purple potatoes and sautéed some Portabella mushrooms. Paired it with a Bordeaux instead, however.

Thanks! I think I have 1 ‘13 and 1 ‘14 left, so need to show some restraint to let these age another year ... if I’m lucky.

[Robert.A.Jr.]

Almost 50 in Chicagoland today, so fired up the grill and enjoyed a zintastic Sky with dinner. Cheers!

Awesome! I popped a 2013 on Thursday and have some 2014 coming in this week thanks to Todd F. And, how great was it!?!

PS. That steak looks absolutely fantastic. I did the same thing tonight, grilled some steak, roasted some purple potatoes and sautéed some Portabella mushrooms. Paired it with a Bordeaux instead, however.

Thanks! I think I have 1 ‘13 and 1 ‘14 left, so need to show some restraint to let these age another year ... if I’m lucky.

No, BS, buy more!!!

[Al Osterheld]

And Todd will bring it to you!

-Al

[R Roberts]

Ok, the 2014 is even better than the 2013. I love that 2013, this 2014 is the same profile with just a little bit more ripeness to the fruit, a bit higher ABV for some heft, but still a broad range of tangy red fruits (even some blood orange tossed in) and venturing into the darks, with a gravelly minerality on the palate that speaks to me about earth, rocks, dirt. Gosh I love this stuff. Could be my favorite California Zin, the freshness is crazy good. The citrus notes really speak to this good ‘old Florida boy. A truly outstanding Zin. An outstanding wine. Just a stoopid stoopid value at the $26.99 that I paid. And the best part was, I got Todd to mule it for me. That’s worth a small fortune.



AE85E669-5BE5-4E5D-B4A2-4B9E5B24A942.jpeg

sob.png

[Brent Fraker]

Sold this wine for a full decade and I'll be damned if it wasn't the hardest hand-sell in Zin history. Like all others have said, it's old-school Mountain Zin and it appealed to the exact same three people who were really into J Swan Zin.

Lloy loved it. Hi Jason.