Cline Ancient Vines Zinfandel – Sublime

Zinfandel from Contra Costa County, California.

SRP of $16 and available for $11 at Costco. Sample submitted for review.

From the bottle:

“For the last century, Cline’s Ancient Vines have been rooting deep in the sandy soils of Contra Costa County’s Oakley vineyards. Warm, sunny days and cool nights along the San Joaquin and Sacramento Rivers provide the unique growing conditions that produce robust, intense fruit. With bold flavors of black cherry, strawberry, and a hint of dark chocolate, this luscious Zinfandel is full-bodied but smooth.

14.5% Alcohol”

We’ve talked many times about old vines and why they are rightly valued (see here and here), but still I had to chuckle at the designation “Ancient Vines” on today’s wine, as if old just didn’t cut it. And while there is no standard for what can be designated ancient or old, today’s wine actually does seem to meet the smell test coming from vineyards up to 100 years old.

The 2012 Cline Ancient Vines Zinfandel begins with abundant aromas of wild strawberry and a touch of smoke. The wine tastes smooth and nice with more rich strawberry, a little spice and a bit of chocolate. It’s not one of those over-the-top Zins that are so popular right now, but a bit more sublime and we enjoyed it quite a bit. It ends with lots of fruit and good length on the finish. Highly recommended especially at only $11.

Buy this wine online from our featured sponsor Marketview Liquor or see a listing of local retailers selling this wine here.

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