Double Gold Medal - San Francisco Chronicle - Jan 2019
Gold Medal - Monterey Wine Competition - Mar 2019
Gold Medal - Press Democrat North Coast Wine Challenge - April 2019
The 2016 Frank Family Napa Valley Zinfandel has a deep scarlet hue. Opens with aromas of raspberries, vanilla, savory spices and notes of coffee. Medium bodied on the palate with an abundance of fresh fruit and black pepper flavors upon entry. This wine is round, silky, and finishes with generous flavors of ripe blackberries, with a long, layered finish. Always a winner. A perfect companion with grilled foods. Stock up and share with the family.
Pairs with anything from the meat aisle, from barbeque pork ribs, leg of lamb or big, hearty meals.
Zinfandel is often called “California’s Grape,” and despite the fact that it has been genetically traced to Croatia, it certainly seems to show best all over the Golden State. Today’s offering comes from Frank Family Vineyards in Napa Valley, a region certainly more well known for its Cabernet. Napa’s climate is also wonderful for growing Zinfandel. Warm sunny days lead to well ripened Zinfandel grapes that tend to show more of Zin’s jammy side.
VINEYARDS
Frank Family sources from all over Napa Valley for the grapes for their Zinfandel, and this allows them to make a consistently outstanding bottle of wine each and every year. This family run winery is one of the stars of Napa Valley, yet maintains pricing that makes it a reasonable bottle to open for any occasion. In the tradition of the great field blend of California, from the likes of Ridge and others, they blend a little bit of Petite Sirah into the blend, which gives the wine extra weight and texture.
This Napa Valley Zinfandel is cultivated from long term vineyard relationships combining the AVAs of Chiles Valley, Rutherford, St. Helena, and Calistoga.
Vintage: 2016
Wine Type: Red Wine
Varietal: Zinfandel
Varietal Composition: 91% Zinfandel, 9% Petite Sirah
Appellation: Napa Valley
Harvest Date: September 13th - October 5th
Acid: 3.67
Aging: 16 months in 33% new French oak barrels, and 67% once and twice-filled French oak barrels
Bottling Date: March 2018
Acid: 0.65 g/100ml TA
Alcohol %: 14.8
Gold Medal
Light pink in color with aromas of watermelon, cranberry, orange rind, and fresh spring flowers that leap from the glass. The palate offers more peach, strawberry, and melon, with an intriguing note of rose and hibiscus. It's crisp with just the perfect hint of red fruit, and delicate whisper of strawberry that gives goosebumps.
Inky, plush, and cellar-worthy
The nose is an aromatic riot—a decadent mashup of blackberry, black cherry, and plum swirled with whimsical notes of red licorice, vanilla, and cocoa. A savory dust of spice, cedar, and a gentle kiss of oak adds a sophisticated edge to this fruit-forward powerhouse.
91 Points
Shimmering ruby-purple hue. The nose is a walk through a damp Sonoma forest—mossy bark and wild earth—brightened by high-toned notes of cranberry sauce and blood orange. On the palate, it's generously long in the mouth, with good concentration. It's a masterclass in tension: intense, cherry and red current fruit meets dark spice and fine, sandy tannins.
96 Points
Aromas of blackberry, black cherry, huckleberry, floral violet and savory spice. The palate is full and layered, with robust, age-worthy tannins and gorgeous flavors of dark berries, mocha and chocolate-covered cherries mingling with hints of graphite, fig and fine leather. Smooth tannins, firm structure and silky texture coat the palate on route to a long, generous finish.
96 Point Vintage
Entices with aromas of Bing cherry, raspberry, and cedar spice. Indicative of the cool vintage, the wine carries a freshness throughout. The palate offers a harmonious balance between bright red fruit, spice, and nicely woven tannins.
Gold Medal
Generously packed with black cherry, cola, cassis, and plum that all intermingle together in a creamy, velvety texture with great layering, finishing with delightful notes of oak and spice. Persistent, well-defined structure, wonderfully balanced.
97 Points
Rich dark fruit flavors of blackberry and cherry with notes of baking spices, licorice, coffee, and chocolate that interlace seamlessly with complexity, creating a wine that is both structured and delightfully supple, achieving an ideal balance of tension and grace. Artfully composed of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon with 17% Cabernet Franc, resulting in harmonious depth and freshness.
94 Points
Deep garnet in color from the ripe 2018 vintage, with open aromas of lush fruit – plum, blackberry, and cherry, and notes of cedar, vanilla, and white pepper. Across the palate it's quite seamless and silky, rich and concentrated. The fruit flavors are bold and vibrant. Mouth-filling with smooth tannins, great texture and a long delicious finish.
New Release
A ferociously fun Napa Valley blend with depth, balance and big flavor. Aromas of red currant, fresh strawberries, black plum, vanilla, and notes of cocoa on the nose. The palate is bursting with fruit ranging from cherries, mixed berry compote, toasted hazelnut and more. This wine has great texture that ultimately finishes with round, silky smooth tannins.
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