Wines

Great value here from the famous Bedrock Vineyard (Shhh....)! From the winery: A punchy, spicy blend of zinfandel (80%), barbera (15%) and Alicante Bouschet (5%). The Zinfandel and Alicante were sourced from the Bedrock Vineyard in Sonoma. The fruit was from adjacent blocks so we picked both on the same day, co-fermenting them together. Traditionally this fruit has always been the base for our red table wine. We then blended in a few barrels of Barbera to level up the acidity and aromatics.

92-94 Points! The 2022 Zinfandel Pesenti Vineyard is a very pretty wine, and also surprisingly delicate for Paso. Medium in body, with terrific nuance, the Pesenti is super-expressive in this vintage. Crushed flowers, blood orange and cedar overtones linger on the aromatic, finessed finish. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

93 Points! The Duemani 2021 Cabernet Franc CiFRA is an entry-level wine that punches above its weight class (and its price point). This organic and biodynamic wine reveals dark, purplish fruit with a soft texture and velvety quality. It is layered with fresh blackberry, plum and tobacco, but the energy of the primary fruit is what stands out in this classic vintage. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

Founded directly above the San Andreas Fault, DeRose Vineyards is located in one of the most active earthquake areasin the World. Furthermore, it is one of only a few wineries anywhere to have a major fissure dissecting its wine cellars. DeRose has vineyards on both sides of the infamous fault. Soils east of the break contain fragmented granite and crumbled sandstone while those on the west side are mostly granite and limestone. Some blocks lie precisely above the line, their tilled surfaces concealing the fissure far below. Cabernet Franc grows east of the fault in loosely packed loam where the drainage is excellent.

A temperamental grape variety in many locations, Cabernet Franc thrives on the DeRose estate, creating heavily extracted wines with wonderful viscosity. Winemaker Pat DeRose prunes each vine in the winter and later exposes the grapes to beneficial sunlight with careful leaf removal. Clusters are thinned after veraison to attain proper vine balance.

Cienega Valley is an elevated pocket in the Gabilan Mountains 1,100 feet above sea level. The region’s warm, dry conditions are quite agreeable to the thin-skinned
Zinfandel grapes, enabling sound crops to be picked late in the year without the threat of bunch rot. The Gabilan Range is high enough to protect vines from direct contact with the cold coastal air, but low enough to allow breezes to mitigate the heat of summer afternoons. Rainfall averages 15 inches per year while fog is rare. This temperate climate is well suited to producing rich red wines.

DeRose has 15 acres of Zinfandel vines originally planted on their own roots in the late 1890s. Dry farmed on steep hillsides in Cienega Valley, the head-trained vines produce highly pigmented grapes inscribed with a spicy mountain terroir.

92 Points! Based on 81% Cabernet Franc, 8% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Malbec, the 2021 Cabernet Franc sports a vivid purple hue to go with impressive aromatics of cassis, black raspberries, spring flowers, and chocolaty oak. It's medium-bodied and has a supple, elegant mouthfeel, fine tannins, and a great finish. A beautiful wine, it might even be better in another year or two as it integrates its oak. Regardless, it's a terrific value that I'd happily drink any time over the coming 8-10 years. - Jeb Dunnuck

92 Points! A rich and fruity cabernet franc with creamy berries, vanilla and sweet oak spices on the nose. Medium body with plush tannins. Creamy berries and mocha on the palate with dried herbs and cedar in the finish. Try after 2025. - JamesSuckling.com

96 Points! Grapes for the 2021 Angeli Zinfandel are picked in three passes. Proprietor Scot Bilbro notes that Zinfandel's naturally varying levels of ripeness can lead to raisiny flavors if all the grapes are picked at a higher brix. "If you bring Zinfandel in over 25 brix, that means the juice inside is at 25, but the skins have a lot more sugar, and the level will go up to 28 or more," he explains. "So, we pick at 23, 24 and just shy of 25. You can enable the wine to show off layers with those different picks." This strategy led to a gorgeous Angeli in 2021 that is incredibly expressive and perfumed. Blueberry, boysenberry and blackberry give way to wafts of graphite, gobs of violet and even touches of tangerine. The medium to full-bodied palate explodes with concentrated fruit and expansive layers of floral perfume and spice. It has a powdery frame, bursts of mouthwatering acidity and a very long, nuanced finish. - Erin Brooks, robertparker.com

From the importer: Originating from vines planted on clay and chalk (tuffeau) soil, this wine offers the distinctive character of Cabernet Franc: deep and bright ruby color, fine aromas of red fruits (red current, cherry) and floral subtleties (violet, iris), fine and velvety tannin, with a fresh and balanced finish. Best served below room temperature (14 to 16º C), Clos des Cordeliers Cuvée Tradition is at its prime when young and is the perfect companion for cold meats, roasted meats, grilled fish and cheese.

94 Points! Sweet tobacco, currants and white pepper here, with a red-chili note. Medium-to full-bodied with seamless, ripe tannins on the palate. Flavorful, yet elegant. Extremely well made. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

93 Points! A bright saturated ruby, the 2021 Zinfandel Russian River Valley is lifted with fresh aromas of candied peach, grenadine, and pressed red flowers. Medium to full-bodied, with great energy in its notes of fresh mixed berries, gravelly earth, and mocha, it’s an elegant wine with fine tannins, a stony texture, and a good, clean finish. It’s a fantastic entry to the wines from Limerick Lane to drink over the next several years. - Audrey Frick, jebdunnuck.com

93 Points! Fragrant and vibrantly structured, with expressive raspberry, green peppercorn and roasted sage flavors that build richness and tension toward briary tannins. - Wine Spectator

95 Points! The 2021 Zinfandel Saitone Vineyard has a light touch of reductive lift on opening before revealing its more potent liqueur of ripe fruits and Luxardo cherry, boysenberry and raspberry preserve, black pepper, and lavender. Full bodied, it offers more lift on the palate, with tangy red berries, crunchy fresh herbs, and wildflowers. It is long on the palate, with lift and a savory appeal. Drink 2025-2035. - Audrey Frick, JebDunnuck.com

95 Points! A youthful hue of electric ruby with purple highlights, the 2021 Zinfandel Pagani Ranch is highly aromatic and jumps out of the glass with wild strawberries, pink peppercorn, blueberry, and minty herbs. Medium to full-bodied, with a velvety texture, ripe tannins, and supple richness in its notes of violets, cherry, and cedar, it’s a well-balanced and potent style to drink 2025-2035. - Audrey Frick, jebdunnuck.com

94 Points! Brooding and dark, yet light on its feet, this Zinfandel overflows with flavors and aromas of blackberry and plum, licorice, black pepper and briar patch, finishing with big but smooth tannins. - Wine Spectator

93 Points! Against all odds, the 2020 Cabernet Franc, from a warm and dry year, feels fresher and more harmonious than the two other vintages I tasted next to it, the cooler 2019 and 2021. It contains some 10% Malbec that fermented together with the Cabernet Franc, which feels very integrated and softened the tannins that feel velvety but without losing grip. It spent 15 months in ancient oak foudres, and the oak feels very integrated. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

93 Points! Supple and jammy, with rich and multilayered berry cobbler and toasty spice flavors that expand and flesh out on the zesty finish. Drink now through 2029. - Wine Spectator

93 Points! The NV Old Vine Red Lot 74 is primarily Zinfandel, with some Syrah, Petite Sirah, Carignan, Grenache and Barbera. Spicy and easy to drink, it has aromas of red and black cherries, mint, bitter chocolate and allspice with earthy undertones. The medium-bodied palate is finely chalky and refreshing, with spicy fruit and an easygoing finish. This will be enjoyable with almost any dish at the table and, as always, overdelivers for the price. - Erin Brooks, robertparker.com

91 Points, Wine Spectator's #50 Wine of the Year 2023! This zesty red is generous with sleekly layered cherry and raspberry flavors that are laced with notes of cinnamon and pepper and finish with lively tannins. Drink now through 2029. - Wine Spectator