We review the Elyse Winery Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel, the Elyse Winery Morisoli Vineyard Zinfandel from Rutherford, Napa Valley and the Elyse Winery Korte Ranch Vineyard Zinfandel from St. Helena, Napa Valley.
Today we're going to take a look at three small production, 100% Zinfandels (samples submitted for review) from Elyse Winery in Napa Valley, who have carved out a reputation for producing delicious, vineyard designate Zins.
Up first we have the 2019 Elyse Winery Morisoli Vineyard Zinfandel which, like all 3 wines, has an SRP of $45 (Saturday Splurge). Elyse has been producing a Zinfandel from this vineyard in Rutherford, Napa Valley since 1986 and it only takes one sip to know why. Aged 11 months in French oak (60% new), only 295 cases were produced.
Nestled in the heart of Rutherford, this historic vineyard site has been the cornerstone of our portfolio since 1985.
Cellared & Bottled by Elyse Winery
15.1% Alcohol
The 2019 Elyse Winery Morisoli Vineyard Zinfandel begins with an absolutely lovely aroma of plum and black cherry with notes of raisins, licorice, baking spice, vanilla, cigar box and much more.
Wow! Taking a sip reveals great depth of flavor with wonderful integration of the all the various baking spice notes. It's very harmonious and balanced but still super flavorful. The wine features similar fruit to the nose but it's a bit more brambly and a bit juicy in the mouth and has good acidity. And it gets even more harmonious, balanced and savory after a couple hours of air.
The wine ends dry, a bit grippy and very long with lots of lingering baking spice and licorice under the lingering fruit. Still rather young, it will be interesting to see how this one further evolves because it is excellent already.
Next, we've got the 2019 Elyse Winery Korte Ranch Vineyard Zinfandel. Elyse sources grapes from dry-farmed vines a minimum of 70 years old from this vineyard in St. Helena, Napa Valley. Aged 11 months in French oak (50% new), only 175 cases were produced.
The Korte Ranch vineyard is an old planting of Zinfandel in the heart of Napa Valley. The vines are head trained and dry-farmed, producing wines with vibrant fruit sensations and lavish texture.
Cellared & Bottled by Elyse Winery
15.1% Alcohol
The 2019 Elyse Winery Korte Ranch Vineyard Zinfandel opens with a bit of an earthy note as well as some strawberry, black cherry and rhubarb. It has pleasing hints of baking spice, pepper, coffee and licorice too.
The wine tastes very similar to the nose and offers a nice contrast to the Morisoli Zin. Smooth, it features a bit more baking spice, coffee and pepper in the mouth as compared to the nose but also has continuing rhubarb and earthy notes to go along with the fruit. There's tons of complexity in this one.
It ends dry, long and savory with lingering licorice and earth under the lasting fruit. There's so much going on, in this one, we love it. A solid 9 on day 1, we have to go up to a 10 by day 2 as it just keeps getting better.
Finally, we have our last splurge, the 2019 Elyse Winery Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel from the Carrera Vineyard in Dry Creek Valley. Aged 11 months in French oak (85% new), only 320 cases were produced.
This Zinfandel was sourced from head trained and dry farmed vines that date back to the 1880's. The grapes are harvested at peak ripeness and gently vinified to produce a wine that is classic Dry Creek Zinfandel - robust, rich, and exploding with flavor.
Cellared & Bottled by Elyse Winery
15.1% Alcohol
The 2019 Elyse Winery Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel opens with very pleasing aromas of blackberry, black cherry, some smoky black pepper notes and coffee along with touches of baking spice and licorice.
This is classic stuff right here. With perhaps a bit more elegance than the two Napa Zins, this wine has great balance and a smooth mouthfeel. All the same notes from the nose also present quite nicely in the mouth. This is a coffee lovers Zin! And just like the others, this one gets even better with air with lots of interesting secondary notes revealing themselves.
It ends dry, long and grippy with more coffee notes lingering under the very long-lasting juicy fruit and spice. Delicious! It was even slightly better on day 2 where the licorice notes became more prominent.
All three of these wines also get spots on our Best Wines For Thanksgiving list!
