2010 Zinfandel Old Vine

The 2010 Zinfandel Old-Vine flows across the palate with sumptuous black cherries, plums, licorice, chocolate and tobacco. The 2010 impresses for its mid-palate generosity and soft, silky finish. Floral red fruits reappear on the close. This is yet another superb choice for budget-conscious readers. The blend is 84% Zinfandel, 12% Mourvedre, plus 4% assorted blending varieties. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2022. Morgan Twain-Peterson is one of the most impressive young winemakers I have ever met, and it’s not just because he grew up the son of a famous producer. Making wines at this level requires talent, passion, hard work and a great palate, none of which is easily inherited. Along with Mike Officer of Carlisle, Twain-Peterson is on a mission to rediscover what he calls California’s old-vine “heritage” vineyards. These historic sites planted by California’s early immigrants, often home to unknown field blends, remain some of the most fascinating vineyards in California. Officer and Twain-Peterson were tired of seeing these old sites gobbled up by industrial-scale wineries, so they decided to do something about it. Bravo. Vintage 2010 was not kind to Twain-Peterson. Five vineyards were totally scorched by the late summer heat spikes and the crop from those sites were lost. But back to the positive, and there is plenty of that here. This lineup includes several wines that deliver phenomenal quality for the money. Tel. (707) 364-8763; www.bedrockwineco.com