2013 Bedrock Wine Company "Old Vine" California Zinfandel

The 2013 Zinfandel Old Vine, which includes a dollop of Carignane, comes from vines averaging 80 years of age. This Rhône Ranger-styled effort displays notes of raspberries, black cherries, forest, earth, pepper and spice. Full-bodied, heady, seductive and lush, it can be enjoyed over the next 5-6 years. (12/2014)

A zesty red, with briary cherry and sage aromas that lead to lively and layered flavors of wild berry, anise and smoky cracked pepper. Drink now through 2021. (1/2015)

*One Star and a "Good Value" designation* This is the kind of bright and buoyant, old-fashioned Zin that we simply do not see as much as we would like. It is fixed on lively, ripe berry fruit without once threatening to be heavy or hot, and, while full, slightly supple and somewhat fleshy in feel, it is lively every step of the way. It is nicely structured with ample acidity and a fine spine of tannin, and, if it will be a welcome guest with sundry barbecue fare in the short term, it has plenty of staying power and promises four or five years of tasty service. (1/2015)

The 2013 Old Vine Zinfandel is once again fabulous and one of the very best wines readers will find in its price range. Rich, powerful and explosive, the 2013 hits the palate with an array of dark red stone fruits, tobacco, menthol and licorice. The Old Vine Zinfandel comes from a smattering of sites, most of them in Sonoma Valley, Alexander Valley and the Russian River Valley. As always, the Old Vine is really best described as a mixed-blacks, as other grapes - both red and white - comprise about 23% of the blend. (1/2015)

The 2013 Old Vine Zinfandel is once again fabulous and one of the very best wines readers will find in its price range. Rich, powerful and explosive, the 2013 hits the palate with an array of dark red stone fruits, tobacco, menthol and licorice. The Old Vine Zinfandel comes from a smattering of sites, most of them in Sonoma Valley, Alexander Valley and the Russian River Valley. As always, the Old Vine is really best described as a mixed-blacks, as other grapes - both red and white - comprise about 23% of the blend. It's always a treat to see what Morgan Twain Peterson and his colleague Chris Cottrell are up to at Bedrock, where the focus is on showcasing California's heritage sites and their extraordinary pedigree, something Bedrock and a handful of like-minded wineries have taken with notable enthusiasm. Many of the wines in this range are field blends, sometimes also known as 'mixed blacks' that Sonoma's Italian settlers favored back in the 1800 and early 1900s, when many of these vineyard were first planted. The Bedrock wines are relatively intense and powerful in style, but they are also quite faithful to a sense of place. The Old Vine Zinfandel and North Coast Syrah, both $25, are among the best wines readers will come across for the money. A new Cabernet Sauvignon from Montecillo and the new Oakville Farmhouse Heritage Wine both left me weak at the knees and practically drooling at the prospect of perhaps owning a few bottles. (1/2015)

Many of the grapes for Bedrock Wine Company's Old Vine Zinfandel are sourced from the historic Bedrock Vineyard--and as for being "historic," that's no marketing gloss. Bedrock was founded as pre-war business venture between buddies William “Tecumseh” Sherman and Joseph “Fightin’ Joe” Hooker in 1854, then replanted in 1888 by Senator George Hearst, father of publisher William Randolph Hearst. Besides Zinfandel, there's an eclectic mix of black grapes in the blend, including Petite Sirah, Abouriou and Alicante Bouschet. The 2012 Old Vine Zinfandel scored 90 points with Robert M. Parker, who also noted: "Morgan Twain Peterson, the son of Ravenswood's Joel Peterson, has hit the wine scene with a bang, producing vibrant, personality-filled, delicious wines from extremely old vines and, in some cases, virtually unknown grapes, such as Aubun, Teredalgo, Trousseau Noir, Le Noir, Mission, Trousseau Gris, Grand Noir and Abouriou, as well as Zinfandel, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Grenache, Carignan, Alicante Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Tempranillo. Many of these sites are heritage terroirs from the ancient past which, until Peterson's arrival, were largely ignored or were co-mingled into some innocuous industrial blend. Bedrock's portfolio is filled with exciting wines."