TN: 2015 St. Francis "Old Vine" Zinfandel, Sonoma County

A blend of Zinfandel and Petite from “Sonoma County’s most sought after old vine vineyards.” Vines 50-110 years old. 15.4% abv.

Medium ruby, good aromatics. Cherry, black cherry, a touch of cedar, mint, black pepper and Zin bramble. Good depth and length.

OK, I’m a bit of a Zin snob. Finding myself in Hawaii without my go-to’s, I found this wine at Costco for $15.99 and then purchased a couple of more bottles at Foodland for $21.99. Probably more affordable in California.

Very good with burgers and steak, also worked with Tuna poke. This wine scratched my Zin itch!

You drink Zin in Hawaii??? Dedicated.

Is that a rhetorical question?

Thanks for the tasting note, Mike!!

I used to really enjoy the St Francis Sonoma County “Old Vine” Zinfandel. My threshold for ripeness and 100% New Oak was higher back then.

I believe an overall shift in my palate led to the St Francis “Old Vine” Zin falling by the wayside…dunno. When fellow retail-dominant “end-cap” producer Seghesio’s blue-capsule Zin started to increase in price, my enthusiasm for this other value-friendly bottling dropped off.

BTW, Tom Mackay, once a long-time winemaker for St Francis, has started his own private winery:

Mackay Cellars website:
http://mackeycellars.com





IF Joel Peterson had not been dubbed the “Patron Saint of Zinfandel”, Mike Dildine would probably hold the title…


…or Larry Piggens.

HA! Joel is the “Godfather” of Zin. Zin pioneer, winemaker, winery owner, student of Zin history, vineyard owner, a global ambassador of California’s noble grape for a half century or so. There will never be another Zin advocate like Joel, although his son and others are plowing their own paths.

I’m just a guy who loves to drink what Joel creates!

BTW, the other Zin that I’ve found available here is the Seghesio blue capsule, which I agree is an even better, if slightly more pricey option.

Draper is the godfather of Zin.

Joel, MacKay, and others are second growths. But quite wonderful nonetheless.

This with the caveat that Joel and others such as Bill Easton, Kent Rosenblum (RIP), Rod Berglund and Kevin Harvey (and a couple others that I’m missing) are first growths.

What does Kevin Harvey have to do with Zinfandel?

If you haven’t tried any of the Easton zins do your self a favor and pickup a couple to try. Some of the best zins coming out of Amador.

Easton Zins are surprisingly light and vibrant. Kevin Harvey, while no Zin pioneer, is now in the Zin game with recent plantings in the Centennial Mountains.

So planting grapes puts him in the pantheon? That’s a crock.

Sean meant to say Scott Harvey, not Kevin.

There is an argument here that I don’t mind seeing at all.

Think of varieties that have succeeded in California without clear (to the marketplace) European roots. There is Zinfandel, and … (to a lesser extent) Petite?

Joel and Paul (along with others and some luck along the way with a beverage called “white Zin”) helped establish the “California varietal.” In so doing, they preserved a slice of 19th Century American viniculture and some of the world’s most venerable and beautiful vines.

OK then!

My bad. But yes Scott.

He’s the guy next to Turley in Amador. Renwood and Menage a Troix.

I met him when I was there in 2015 and his wines were not that impressive.

I’ll be back later this month and check them out again.

Used to be the big R’s of zinfandel - Ridge, Ravensood, Rosenblum and Rafanelli - when I started drinking it in 1982.

Zin is still my go-to wine today.

Another wine picked up at the Foodlands Market in Hawaii - this time the Dashe '15 “Dry Creek” Zinfandel.

$27. 14.3% abv. Very aromatic, nice black raspberry flavor profile with hints of pepper and mint. Less apparent oak treatment than the St. Francis. Excellent depth and length, rich with appealing sweetness. Not at all ponderous. Nicely done!

There is good drinking on the Islands. Including drinks without those floating paper umbrellas!