“It was really pleasantly surprising seeing so many wines with sustainability certification, with more holistic views of what they’re doing”
For a wine region that is often dismissed in the most stereotypical terms, California is in fact one of the most difficult vinous places to summarise. That it eludes easy simplification and generalisation really shouldn’t come as a surprise. The Golden State is, after all, the world’s fourth-biggest wine-producing “country” (it accounts for 80% of US production on its own). And as with France, Italy and Spain (the three places in the world that pip its vinous production), the sheer variety of soils, climates, grape varieties and winemaking philosophies at large in California means we really should be thinking about it as the Californians themselves think about it: as a collection of distinct sub-regions, each with its own stylistic signature and winemaking culture.
Still, an exercise such as The California Collection does provide a valuable opportunity to make at least a few tentative observations about the state-wide direction of travel, and certainly about developments in the style and composition of California wine in the UK’s independent sector. Our panel of six independent judges each tasted dozens of wines to come up with the wonderfully varied and variously delicious set of 50 independent-only wines featured in this supplement. And in putting together this vivid snapshot of California, they inevitably noticed some trends and points of interest along the way.
Not the least of these is a welcome movement across California towards sustainability. As judge Alex Griem of Chilled & Tannin in Cardiff says: “It was really pleasantly surprising seeing so many wines with sustainability certification, with more holistic views of what they’re doing.” According to the Wine Institute of California’s own data, more than 80% of California wine is now made in a Certified Sustainable California Winery and more than half of the 250,000ha of vineyards are now certified to one of the state’s sustainability programmes (Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing, Fish Friendly Farming, LODI RULES, Napa Green and SIP Certified).
Judges were struck by California’s ability to make convincing wines that range from the robust and the voluptuous to the coolly restrained – from the biggest of Zins to the raciest of Chardonnays. Looking at the composition of the list, it was striking, too, to see just how far California Pinot Noir has come in the 20 years since the Sidewaysinspired Pinot-planting boom: the variety led the way this year with more than a third (14 out of 50) of the total, eclipsing traditional big-guns Cabernet and Chardonnay.
No matter the grape variety, the judges were, as Sarah Truman of Sarah’s Cellar in Battle, East Sussex, put it, “really impressed by the quality” on offer. And if we were forced to generalise about the current state of play in California based on the Collection tasting, that is perhaps where we would start: when it comes to what’s in the bottle, California wine is at the top of its game.
alex griem
chilled & tannin cardiff
alex prymaka
no 1 oscar road
broadstairs
sarah truman
sarah’s cellar battle
sunny Hodge
diogenes the dog
london
patrick rohde
aitken wines
dundee
conor strutt
peckham cellars
london
£38.50
While it makes sense to mention the starry French ownership of Roederer Estate – and while there is no question that the wines benefit from the expertise of one of Champagne’s finest houses – this Anderson Valley-based sparkling specialist has acquired an elite reputation all its own. The Quartet cuvée, a blend of 60% Chardonnay with 40% Pinot Noir based largely on a single vintage with reserve wines making up the remaining 15%, has “a stunning nose of brioche, well balanced with just the right amount of acidity. A really lovely sparkling wine”.
£61.80
santa maria Valley armit Wines
A byword for high-quality cool-climate California, Bien Nacido is set in the heart of the Santa Maria Valley, with the estate vineyard given over to Burgundy and Rhône varieties. The Chardonnay is sourced from a single block on the estate’s easternmost bench, a famously windy spot that was originally planted to Wente clones in 1973. “The nose is tight; the texture is great: oily and silky. Moulds to the mouth. A sophisticated style with length and good acidity. Very much a wine to drink, it’s concentrated and pure.”
£30.69
Celebrating its half-century anniversary this year, Calera has always looked to Burgundy for inspiration, with founder Josh Jensen acquiring a reputation for making some of California’s most elegant, terroirdriven Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The estate’s benchmark Chardonnay is one of the wines that have helped put the Central Coast on the map, and impressed the judges with “its pretty, restrained, flinty nose. Citrus dominant, with lime skin and lime oil, there is nice length of aroma and refreshing lingering acidity. Strong label, too.”
Yoav Gilat and his team of experienced wine industry professionals saw a gap in the market for affordable but high-quality California wine when they set up shop in 2006. Almost two decades on, the wines continue to impress for their quality, value and striking packaging. “Very well balanced but rich, with fruit and oak: round, creamy but not over the top, with savoury saline and wet stone character. Pleasant, long, lightly spicy, toasty finish. Bonus points for the branding – love the diver logo on the screwcap.”
CA-certified sustainable Hanna sources this topflight Chardonnay from two 30+-year-old vineyards in the Russian River Valley: the gravelly-loam soils of Slusser Ranch and the Wright loam of the Home Ranch. Fermented in 60-gallon French and Hungarian oak barrels, and aged on lees for seven months, it’s “a full-bodied Chardonnay, with flavours of ripe stone fruit, a creamy texture, and bold oak but everything is working in harmony. This is an outstanding wine for its price point. It is exactly what I want from California.”
Marimar Torres picked the ideal spot to bring her family’s fine-wine talents to California in the Green River Valley in Russian River in Sonoma County. Taking advantage of the cooling influences of the ocean (10km away) and the rolling fog, it’s a perfect spot for growing Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Using fruit that is fermented and aged in stainless steel for maximum purity, the Acero is “a restrained and delicate Chardonnay” that is “really delicious. Citrus, pineapple, sherbet, dried mango and papaya.”
As well as “very much looking the part”, this “classic Monterey-style Chardonnay” pleased the judges for its “incredible pricing”, its “sustainable certification”, and the “great balance between fruit and oak with loads of tropical fruit coming through. It’s particularly opulent on the nose,” the judges added. “Sweet, really toasty and buttery, with lots of fleshy stone fruit, coconut and vanilla, but with everything very balanced.” It’s an expression of the Riverview Vineyard in the wind-cooled Salinas Valley.
santa rita hills hallgarten & Novum WINES
Sanford’s reputation for balanced, supremely elegant modern California wines rests on the pedigree of its two celebrated estate vineyards in the cool of the Santa Rita Hills: the Sanford & Benedict Vineyard and the La Rinconada Vineyard in the shadow of the Santa Ynez Mountains. “Lovely flow, balance and cut –really incisive but with a nice glow of bright orchard fruit, too, and very deftly worked oak; tangy finish. High quality; lots of character.”
Santa lucia highlands hallgarten & Novum WINES
Having made their name in the luxury silk tie business, the Talbott family began their adventures in wine in 1982. But things really began to take off when they acquired the Sleepy Hollow Vineyard in the coolclimate Santa Lucia Highlands in 1994, at which point they became an all-estate-fruit winery. “Rich and sweet-scented (floral) on the nose, ripe tropical fruit with some vanilla and coconut underneath. Round and spicy with integrated oak, it’s long, classic and classy – as the label and branding suggest.”
A wine that shows how well white Rhône varieties can do in California, and specifically how well they can do in Lodi’s Mokelumne River district, this Grenache Blanc Rhône Ranger caught the judges’ imagination. “Lemon sherbet, quince, yellow plum, nice texture, slightly saline. Lovely structure,” they said. “A fantastic example of Grenache Blanc, with just enough pithiness to keep it identifiable. A brilliant food wine. Very appealing. I would be able to sell a lot of this wine at that price.”
Seaglass is all about capturing the distinctive terroir of the Central Coast, with Riesling among the varieties that thrive in the wind-buffeted cool-climate, with the region’s extended growing season allowing for a long, slow ripening while preserving the trademark acidity. In the winery, it’s all about avoiding oxygen, with a cold fermentation in stainless steel. “Everything about this wine excited me”, said one judge. “The blue glass bottle, the typical Riesling nose, the tropical flavours and the generous finish. And a great price, too.”
russian river Valley maisons marques et domaines
Barrel-fermented and with plenty of bâtonnage, this Graves-inspired Sauvignon ticked all the right boxes for the judges. “Love the labelling, very juxtaposed in terms of the look and style of the wine, which really won us over,” the judges said. “Gorgeous and vibrant acidity, exactly what one wants from Sauvignon Blanc. Subtle yet bold and creamy in texture and flavour, layered and complex and a superb finish with an unexpected zingy lift. It is an amazing wine that is worth every penny.”
ALEXANDER Valley ENOTRIA&COE
South African master winemaker Ken Forrester teamed up with Sonoma County legend Jesse Katz – and the judges were blown away by the resulting quality. “Umami on the nose, earthy, mushroom, forest floor. Coffee, dark chocolate, leafiness; sweet spice,” they said. “Some dark fruits. Very complex, developed palate with black fruit and nicely integrated oak – the sweetness counter-balanced by bitter chocolate, liquorice, and savoury and meaty notes. Very long finish.”
alexander valley top selection
From one of California’s most celebrated producers, a textbook example of the state’s best-known wine style. “Rich dark fruits, vanilla, earthy notes, forest floor on the nose – herbal too,” the judges said. “On the palate, there’s a hint of menthol behind lashings of black fruit and some cocoa. Tannins are wonderfully fine – soft and very well integrated, a light dusting despite there being plenty of them. Incredibly well balanced, silky and sophisticated.”
napa valley alliance Wine
Whether this superstar winemaker is working on one of his many overseas ventures, or, as in this case, in the region for which he is still best known, New York State-born Paul Hobbs is synonymous with high-quality wine, and this “exquisite, classic” Napa Cabernet is no exception. “A pricy number that really does live up to expectation. Liquorice and toasty plummy notes on the nose, with tertiary aspects; the palate has ripened purple fruit and polymerised tannins to smoothen the occasion. A sultry, enjoyable, very worthwhile wine.”
We have had some really weird and wonderful California wines in our shop, super-natural, random blends of Italian varieties, and people get on board with that too
“There were some exceptional wines in this tasting”Alex Prymaka, No 1 Oscar Road
Some of the price points were high and quite spicy, but there were some good sub-£20 wines I’d gravitate to. I thought on the whole it was really interesting to try so many Californian wines back to back.
I think the Monterey Pinots were really outstanding; as a team we really enjoyed those, and they were not excessively expensive – wines like the Metz Road and Old Stage. We were big fans of the Merry Edwards Sauvignon Blanc, which is expensive but incredible – outstanding. We have a Coravin, and we do wine by the glass, and it would work for that. I’m not big on the overly-oaked Chardonnays, but we really liked the Marimar Estate Acero, which is unoaked: we were really surprised by that.
When it comes to our customers, I would say people are quite traditional on California: they’re looking for Zinfandel, Cabernet, oaky Chardonnay … But we have had some really weird and wonderful California wines in our shop, supernatural, random blends of Italian varieties, and people get on board with that, too. It’s all about hand-selling. The other thing for our customers is that California is something they’d be willing to spend a bit more money on.
sonoma county fells
Kendall-Jackson’s flagship Cabernet is mostly sourced from Sonoma County vineyards with a 4% seasoning from Mendocino. Aged for 11 months in a mix of French and American oak, “the spices, coconut and vanilla give it an enticing sweetness with a perfumed hint. Ripe black plum, cherry and blackcurrant. Excellent on the palate with lovely balance, and a fresh leafiness behind the ripe, black fruit. Cigar box, clove, a hint of nutmeg.”
Napa Valley enotria&COE
Louis M Martini has legendary status in California, a winery with roots in Napa going back to the early 20th century and a pioneer of serious fine winemaking in the state. Since 2002, the winery has been owned by the Gallo family, with winemaker Michael Eddy, who trained for a decade under Mike Martini, overseeing a portfolio of classic California wines. This Napa Cabernet is typical of the Martini house style, which the judges summed up as simply “a great balance of fruit, oak, and age.” £31.99
NAPA Valley top selection
Elizabeth Spencer has two distinctive Cabernet Sauvignons in this year’s California Collection line-up. The first hails from Napa and is sourced from a variety of sites across the valley, with the blend aged in 20% new French oak. It “surprised” the judges “with a delightful freshness”. One added: “ This is a good-looking bottle; it has layers of complexity and a fantastic finish. I can’t help but think it needs some time in the cellar to really come alive.”
£32.79
Elizabeth Spencer’s success in Napa Valley soon led to curiosity about neighbouring areas such as Mendocino. “With its super-primary nose, with a strawberry coulis, fruits of the forest edge, this is bright and fruit-driven with plenty of ripe tannins,” the judges said. “Sunny, smiley, accessible and unashamedly ripe Californian Cab at a decent price.”
£55.00
The first of two Trefethen wines in the 2024 California Collection is this typically refined Napa Cabernet. Sourced from the family’s estate vineyards in the relatively cool Oak Knoll District of Napa – vineyards that have been farmed by the family since 1968 – it’s “savoury with plenty of green pepper, and a touch of lime leaf. Almost perfumed. Delicate on the palate for Cali Cab –nice savoury finish.”
£19.99
The oldest continuously operated family-owned winery in America is a widely respected name in the UK independent retail sector, and for 130 years it has honed its mastery of the art of the high quality-price ratio, in wines such as this “classic” Cabernet Sauvignon. “It has intensity and smooth, rich dark fruit flavours of ripe, rich blackcurrant, complemented by leather and vanilla. Nice acidity and balance … so much to enjoy right up to the lovely, long, lingering finish.”
There were some we tasted that I thought would be £70-£90 but were actually closer to £20. In every flight there was a bottle near the £20 mark that scored as high as the most expensive wine
“There were some good value wines – at least three sitting below £20 that I would list immediately”
Alex Griem, Chilled & Tannin
Overall, the quality was very good – there were only one or two wines that fell below my expectations. The styles and regions that I thought would be consistently good were good.
In every flight there was a bottle near the £20 mark that scored as high, if not higher, than the most expensive wine, and that suggests to me there’s good value to be found. I’m not suggesting the other wines are overpriced, but if you drill down into it, there’s definitely value.
We don’t tend to have many wines on our list that are more than £40. But there were some we tasted that I thought would be £70£90 but were actually closer to £20, so there’s some scope to bring more in – which we definitely need to do.
Well over 50% of our Zins are under £20, not £30, and they’re bloody delicious.
Another familiar name in UK independents, Bogle’s ability to make wines that over-deliver at crucial price points remains undimmed. A blend of fruit from Clarksburg, Lodi and Monterey, this sub-£20 Merlot is aged for 12 months in American oak. “It is so Bordeaux on the nose: plummy and red fruit-led; juicy and tannic and well balanced,” the judges said. “Ripe dark fruits and a bit of spice: it’s all we want from California and priced accordingly. It certainly has shelf appeal and is good value.”
napa valleY top selection
After an inspirational visit to Bordeaux, Dan Duckhorn made his first Duckhorn Merlot in 1978. Fast forward a half-century or so, and the latest vintage remains one of the best examples of the variety in California. “Plum and ripe damson berries with some green leafiness, cocoa, coconut and vanilla. Round and luxurious on the palate. Dark rich fruit, extremely fine, almost dusty tannins. A hint of sweet spice and black pepper. Very nice branding; iconic.”
napa valley
awin barratt siegel
One of the world’s most celebrated Merlot specialists, Rutherford Hill devotes more than three-quarters of its production to the variety, making the most of the Napa Valley’s natural similarity to Pomerol. The expertise shines through in the estate bottling. “Red and black plum with a floral hint, leafiness and some sweet oak influence on the nose,” the judges said. “This is so well structured with well-balanced acidity and tannins. Tons of ageing potential.”
lodi
hallgarten & Novum wines
The Maggio family have been growing grapes in Lodi for five generations now, and their fastidiously sustainable approach shines through in this Petite Sirah. “Pleasingly fresh on the nose with dark fruit, cherry and spice,” the judges said. “A hint of chocolate and coffee but perfumed and quite pretty. Black forest fruits and smoky, savoury elements; incredibly good value for money. We really liked this wine.”
The first of a pair of fine Pinots from one of California’s early pioneers of the variety, the Bien Nacido Estate Pinot Noir is an expression of the 121ha vineyard planted by Bob and Steve Miller in the Santa Maria Valley in 1969. It’s a typically classy and complex Bien Nacido take on Pinot Noir, with, according to the highly impressed judges, “cranberry, raspberry, and rose petals. It’s a little smoky on the palate, and entirely delicious. Lovely finish. Balanced and elegant.” £15.75 £82.00 £107.20
santa maria Valley armit wines
The second of Bien Nacido’s California Collection Pinot Noirs gets its name from the Miller family patriarch: Captain Robert Miller of the USS Ticonderoga. It’s a single-parcel selection, sourced entirely from the limestone soils of Block 40 in the Bien Nacido Vineyard, and it wowed judges with its “really complex nose of black cherry and blackberry, along with gamey, savoury, peppery, and herbaceous tones. The acidity is beautifully balanced with the ripe fruit, earthy notes, and cocoa. Very good!”
santa maria Valley FELLS
Barbara Banke and Jess Jackson’s daughters, Katie Jackson and Julia Jackson, have kept up the family tradition, crafting fine Chardonnay and Pinot Noir at this impressive, sustainable producer in the Santa Maria Valley in Santa Barbara. The Julia’s Pinot offers “a bright red-fruit and floral nose with lightly earthy undertones. Nice weight in the mouth, rasping acidity and nicely layered red fruit: mouth-watering. A hint of oak gives a pleasant bittersweet finish which is quite long, with a savoury goodbye kiss.”
A spin-off from the esteemed Duckhorn Vineyards, Decoy’s raison d’être since it started out in 1985 has been to make affordable, high-quality varietal wines from “exceptional vineyard sources”. It’s a mission that found fans among the judges, who admired the packaging almost as much as the high-quality wine within. “Fresh, bright and fruit driven, with waves of flavour; cherries, wild strawberries and raspberries. Good definition and acidity with a clean, uplifting freshness.”
A blend of fruit from a range of top vineyards scattered across some prime Pinot spots in the Russian River Valley, this has a “very attractive floral-etched red fruit nose, and a seamless and silky palate with lovely, graceful tannins and an airy quality as well as lots of succulent red fruit and hints of fennel,” the California Collection judges said. They added: “This is an outstanding example of a proper Pinot Noir from California, beautifully made, and showing all the restraint and elegance of an absolute classic.”
Well-known for its distinctive labels depicting figures from American history, The Federalist backs up its packaging with wines that are as easy on the palate as the bottles are on the eye. Having established its reputation with innovative blends and varietals, the brand has branched out into Pinot in some style, the judges said, with a wine that offers “a lightly spicy nose, and delicate and restrained jam and compote fruit, seasoned with a dusting of oak”.
The second wine from Paul Hobbs’s Crossbarn project in this year’s California Collection is a Pinot Noir that reminded some of the judges of a Beaujolais Cru thanks to its “super juicy and fruity” stylings. But there’s a serious side, too, to a wine with “lovely keen juiciness. It’s very pure and unforced, with proper Pinot forest floor and beautifully judged raspberry tones; racy and lots of drive.” Fermented with native yeast, and 12% whole clusters, it’s aged for nine months in oak.
Like its sister Chardonnay, Metz Road Pinot Noir is sourced from the Metz Road’s Riverview Vineyard overlooking the Salinas River, with its granitic soils and gusty afternoon winds, and it’s aged for 13 months in French oak. “Quality fruit delivered with perfect oak balance giving an approachable style with elegance,” the California Collection judges said. “Black pepper, herbaceous, minty, a touch medicinal and a bit spicy. Nicely balanced fruit with acidity. Fresh.”
You have expectations of massive Chardonnays and tannic and ageworthy reds. There was a lot of that to be found here, but there were some really surprising, refreshing oddballs
Sunny Hodge
“I think it’s changed the way I think about California a little bit”Sunny Hodge, Diogenes The Dog
When it comes to California, you have expectations of massive Chardonnays and tannic and ageworthy reds. There was a lot of that to be found here, but there were some really surprising, refreshing oddballs that were really nice to try, especially when you’re tasting the whole lot back-to-back.
Most of my world [at Diogenes] is the weird and wonderful and the low-intervention, and it was nice to see some more refined Californian options, and it was really interesting to taste the sparklings.
It was also good to see California’s sustainable credentials. It’s the hub of regenerative farming in the USA – all of the big colleges and research into regenerative farming is in California – so it was nice to get some spill-over from that into some more traditional wines.
“I’m a big advocate of California wines”Sarah Truman, Sarah’s Cellar
I thought the standard here was really good. There were lots of things in there I hadn’t seen before, which was great. The standouts were anything from Russian River, and I also really like the big Zinfandels that really grab you. And Chardonnay: the really oaked style is very popular in our shop. When it comes to specific wines, the Gary Farrell wines are lovely, the Seaglass wines were outstanding for the price point. The Wente wines I’ve been selling for a while – I think they’re really good, and my customers do, too. We sell a lot of them.
santa rita hills
Hallgarten & Novum Wines
As with the Chardonnay also featured in this year’s list, Sanford’s estate Pinot impressed the judges with its Burgundian levels of elegance and sense of place. Sourced from the estate’s own Santa Rita Hills vineyards, it’s a “high-class Cali Pinot with delightful fruit quality: ripe red cherries, chocolate, fresh pine and earthy notes with subtle oak,” the judges said. “Great structure and depth with lovely balancing freshness and svelte, velvety structure, with satisfyingly, softly gripping tannins.”
monterey
Hallgarten & Novum Wines
Making full use of the best fruit in their 290ha of sustainably farmed, cool-climate vineyards, the Franscioni family employ Dan Karlsen to make their Old Stage range of affordable varietal wines. The Pinot really struck a chord with the judges, who found a wine with a “light body, that’s crunchy and savoury, with good acidity and a beautiful nose with both the fruit and smoke aromas playing together beautifully. Customers could really appreciate this for the price.”
Santa Maria Valley armit Wines
The Miller family of Bien Nacido fame established sister winery Solomon Hills when they discovered a parcel of land situated just to the west of the original Bien Nacido site. Like Bien Nacido, it’s proved a very special place to grow Pinot Noir, with the sandy loam soils and maritime influence shaping wines such as the estate bottling, which impressed the judges with its “gently herbaceous nose and lovely black fruit notes on the palate – a wine that could develop very nicely with age.”
Another strong performer from the Elizabeth Spencer winery, sourced this time from long-term partner grower Hendricks Vineyard among other top Sonoma Coast sites. “Very fresh and inviting on the nose: raspberry, fresh cut flowers, black plum, with fruity crunch and real charm,” the judges said. “Some smoke and meat and tobacco notes on the palate, elegant oak, juicy wild strawberries and great length. One for the Burgundy lovers, this is classy, elegant, and restrained – a stunning Pinot Noir.”
Talbott Vineyards has some of the finest raw materials in the state at its disposal thanks to its Sleepy Hollow vineyard in the Santa Lucia Highlands, described as one of “California’s Grand Crus” by Wine Enthusiast. “An expressive Pinot Noir, opening up beautifully in the glass,” the judges said. “Balanced and characterful with great fruit, and sympathetically aged. This classic Cali Pinot Noir delivers in heaps, with a superb finish and layers of flavours.”
With its long, cool growing season, and its gravellyloam soils flecked with shale and limestone deposits, The Riva Ranch vineyard in Arroyo Seco is one of the jewels in the Wente family’s collection of top Monterey sites. It’s planted with eight different Pinot Noir clones, all of which add to the complexity of this single-vineyard bottling. “Sour cherries, raspberries, mint and fresh herbs on the nose,” the judges said. “Generous fruit without being jammy. A great example of Pinot Noir from California.”
£107.20
Santa Maria Valley Armit Wines
Bien Nacido’s Miller family may be best known for their pioneering work with Burgundy’s Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. But they led the way, too, with Syrah, and can lay claim to having established the first cool-climate Syrah vineyard in California in the X Block of their estate vineyard in the Santa Maria Valley. That’s the source of this “intense” Syrah, which is aged for 18 months in 25% new French oak and has “lovely savoury notes on the nose with a touch of black fruits and balanced acidity”.
£49.00
Santa Barbara Hallgarten & Novum Wines
The name and the blend (92% Syrah, 8% Viognier) are a clear reference to Côte Rôtie, and Andrew Murray’s Californian pretender doesn’t suffer from the comparison. From vineyards planted amid the coastal winds of Santa Barbara County in 1996, it’s gently extracted and sees 18 months in oak. “Lots of ripe, violet-edged black fruit, some liquorice and red aniseed, and some meaty-bloody tones on the chewy palate,” the judges said. “Robustly steakfriendly, lots of concentration and length.”
The magic of old vines – some of the oldest in the world – is in full effect in this “stonking” Zinfandel. It’s from a single vineyard featuring vines up to 120 years old, and, in the words of one judge, “is exactly what I am looking for from a Zinfandel, with the warm toast from the oak, alongside bold and unapologetic fruit. Well balanced and utterly delicious, with lush red and black fruits, sweet spice, a touch of perfume, and a hint of coconut and vanilla. Inky and mouth coating.”
The second of Klinker Brick’s impressive Zins in this year’s California Collection is described by the producer as “the best Zinfandel we produce each year” and by the judges as having “a very likable nose – the sweet dark fruits and coconut are there but there’s a mint chocolate and cigar box element to it too. Nostalgic. The fruit is fresh and precise –there’s some leafiness in there and some savoury tangs too. Nice structure and mouth feel. Clove and baking spice on the finish.”
Trevor Sheehan has earned a reputation for canny sourcing and clever winemaking at his Precision Wine Company, sourcing grapes to make a hugely diverse collection of wines from across California, among them this fine and remarkably good value Lodi Zin. “Very crunchy on the nose and palate, almost flinty characters come through – a touch savoury too,” the judges said. “But then this became a glorious and approachable Zin. Well integrated tannins, and a good mix of red fruit.”
The best value wine in this year’s California Collection? Well, this Zinfandel has to be part of the conversation. As the judges put it, this is “fantastic value for money. Easy and approachable, a crowd pleaser. Which is exactly what I want from a Zinfandel at this price. Quite meaty on the nose, the fruit is simple but pretty fun at this price point.” It’s the work of the Scotto family, who have a long winemaking tradition that stretches way back to Italy in the mid-1800s.
Another “best value” contender, and a firm favourite with the judges, who were confounded by the quality-to-price ratio on offer here. As one judge put it: “The look, weight and feel of the bottle scream quality. The wine drinks superbly; smooth blueberries and red fruit trickle in with wellbalanced tannins and acidity. I don’t understand how we’ve reached this pricing as it’s all a bit too good for the money! Excellent value for money and possibly the best branding of the whole line-up.”
Described by the judges as a “really solid blend”, Trefethen’s Oak Knoll District mix of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Merlot offers “ripe black fruit and enticing dried cranberries, red cherry and sweet damson with allspice, violets and parsley stalk on the nose, while the palate has blackcurrant and lovely freshness with a dusting of cocoa powder, clove and herbs. Well made, with supersmooth tannins, it also comes with a likeable label and a sustainable/biodiverse story behind it.”
A blend of Lodi-speciality Zinfandel with Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, this wowed the judges with its “nice dark fruits, sweet spice and dried pineapple and coconut on the nose. A bit of wet stone and earthiness; hints of developed flavours such as cigar box. Really nice on the palate, a bit more understated than others, with real purity of fruit, well integrated oak, smooth, very ripe tannins, restrained alcohol, and a nice long finish. Excellent shelf appeal; super value.”
Napa Valley enotria&COE
Grenache, Petite Sirah and Syrah are the ingredients, aged for eight months in French oak in cult winemaker Orin Swift’s big, bold blend. “Pronounced nose, ripe but not jammy with lashings of dark fruit and cherry, savoury notes, dark chocolate, coffee, spice, and a hint of meatiness,” the judges said. “Full bodied with pronounced and luxurious tannins. Heady but balanced. Almost an after-dinner chocolate box of flavours: fruit, cocoa, mint, smoke. Glorious.”
napa county ava lanchester wines
Zinfandel is joined by Merlot, Malbec and Pinot Noir in this highly unusual (unprecedented?) red blend. The result, according to the judges, is “a round, opulent, silky and generous wine of great concentration but which still has some freshness and is not at all cloying. Big, ripe and juicy but with a dusting of powdery oak and some pleasantly complexing bittersweet qualities; this feels a little Italianate in some senses. Love the amaro finish of dark chocolate and espresso, and the tannins have just the right level of grip.”
