Ravenswood 2014 Belloni Vineyard Zinfandel

Ravenswood 2014 Belloni Vineyard Zinfandel

Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California, United States

ON $44.95 (672741)

Russian River Valley Zinfandel doesn't get as much attention as ones from warmer spots of Sonoma Country (Alexander Valley or Dry Creek Valley) or California (Amador County), but the region's cooler nature makes for a truly distinctive expression. This old vine version comes from a small 7.5 acre vineyard planted circa 1900 on the outskirts of Santa Rosa that has been farmed by the Belloni family since 1971. The vineyard census suggests it's largely planted to Zinfandel with 25 percent "mixed blacks," meaning varieties like Petite Sirah, Carignane or Alicante Bouchet. This is an impressively rich red wine, with appealing fragrance and terrific balance between acidity and alcohol versus the concentrated flavours. It's drinking nicely now and promises to mature nicely over the next four to six years.