WINE REVIEW: Zinfandel is starting to regain its prominence,
Zinfandel is a distinctive red grape that has regained the respect it lost during the evolution of the illustrious white Zinfandel crusade of the 1980s.
Its origin for the past several decades has been rather elusive with a discovery that it was related to southern Italy’s Primitivo grape. More recently, its DNA was also traced to the obscure Crljenak Kasetelanski grape from Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast. It made the transatlantic journey to the United States in the 1800s and became well established in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada during the Gold Rush.
It is a hardy grape that thrives in the warm inland regions of California. It is particularly expressive in the sun- exposed Dry Creek Valley of northern Sonoma with old vine plantings dating back more than 100 years.
It’s the third most widely planted red grape in California, with more than 44,000 acres planted, and Zinfandel has a passionate following of casual, fun- loving consumers who recognize its ancestry as truly American. Its richly textured style and occasional high alcohol ripeness is ideally suited for it to be consumed in its youth. But with age Zinfandel can transform its brambly personality into a complex French- styled blend of exotic red fruits.
Cline Cellars Winery in Sonoma County, California, has a long tradition and storied history as a specialist in Zinfandel and Red Rhone varietals. Fred Cline learned traditional winemaking techniques from his grandfather Valeriano Jacuzzi, one of seven brothers of Jacuzzi spa fame. By the early 1980s, using the inheritance from his grandfather, Fred and his wife, Nancy, opened a modest winery in Oakley, California. Considered part of Contra Costa County, Oakley is 40 miles west of San Francisco in the East Bay area.
By 1993, the Clines decided to relocate the winery to a historic 350- acre piece of property in the Los Carneros area of Sonoma. Fred Cline continues to source fruit for their best Zinfandels from older vineyard plantings in Oakley. Cline built their early reputation with Zinfandel and Red Rhone varietals of Mourvedre and Carignan. He has been recognized among a handful of early Rhone rangers from California.
For the past 15 years, Cline has entrusted Charlie Tsegeletos as director of winemaking. Born to Italian and Greek parents, Tsegeletos’ winemaking heritage dates back to his great- grandfather, who grew grapes and made wine in California in the 1930s. Today he oversees a portfolio of nine Zinfandels complemented by a selection of white and red Rhone- styled wines.
The Cline portfolio includes plenty to choose from at value price points. They may be best known for the gratifying style of their very affordable Ancient Vines Zinfandel and the sumptuous style of their single vineyard Zinfandels.
2015 Old Vine Lodi Zinfandel: Sourced from 11 different vineyards, this wine is medium- bodied with red strawberry preserves and supple dark cherries. A plush Zinfandel with a persistent mouth- feel and plenty of ripeness, it is ready to go at a moment’s notice. $ 10.99
2015 Ancient Vine Zinfandel: This is the workhorse of the Cline lineup. It is a serious and well- constructed wine with a restrained texture of black orchard fruits, cedar and cola. The older vine personality of this wine shines through to the end. $ 13.99
2013 Bridgehead Vineyard Zinfandel: These vines were planted by Italian immigrants and are dry farmed. This wine is highly aromatic with a long, creamy entry. A top- notch effort that caresses every taste bud with black currants and spices, it is nearly perfect, with plenty of enjoyment packed into this bottling. $ 37
2015 Lone Oak Vineyard Zinfandel: Made from the 100- year- old Oakley vineyards grown in sandy soils, this wine has intoxicating floral aromas with dark plums and copious amounts of glycerin. It’s a youngster revealing luscious blue, black and red fruits with briary overtones, and the blackberry spices have a lightly toasted character. There is so much going on in this wine youmay lose your focus for a few minutes. $ 37