91 Points - Wine Spectator
A delicious blend of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah & Carignane that builds rich flavor and texture making it a perfect companion for grilled meats and savory meals.
VARIETALS
The Comet is a blend of three varietals that complement each other beautifully: Zinfandel, Carignane, and Petite Sirah. Together, they make a rich, complex, full-bodied wine with a tremendous depth of flavor. The Petite Sirah comes from the Todd Brothers Ranch, a steep, red-rock vineyard in the Alexander Valley, where the vines struggle to produce a small quantity of grapes resulting in great intensity and structure. The old-vine Carignane comes from 130+ year old vines from the historic Evangelho Vineyard in Contra Costa. Finally, the Zinfandel comes from 100 year old vines, the Louvau Family Vineyard, one of their favorites in the Dry Creek Valley.
WINEMAKING
The ripening weather before harvest was relatively moderate, resulting in very balanced and fruit-forward flavors in the grapes. The vineyards produced relatively small yields, resulting in dark, highly flavored wines. Varietals were fermented separately, using the native yeasts, and aged the wine for 14 months in French oak barrels. At blending, 25% of Petite Sirah was used to maximize richness and added 7% of Carignane as a "spice rack" wine for bright fruit and complexity. The resulting wine absolutely shines with its rich texture and depth of flavor.
Vintage: 2019
Varietals: 68% Zinfandel, 25% Petite Sirah, 7% Carignane
Appellation: Sonoma Valley
Time in oak: 14 months in French and Hungarian oak
Alcohol: 14.5%
94 Points
Deep garnet-purple in color and strides confidently out of the glass with notes of crushed blueberries, ripe blackberry, and warm cassis with hints of cherry, black olive, currant and a touch of black pepper.
96 Points
Ruby-plum core with a light purple rim in the glass, with aromas of dark cherry, plum, spicy cola and black tea waft from the glass. The palate delivers all of that and then some, adding layers of fig jam, white peppercorn and baking spice. Firm juicy tannins and balanced acidity round it out.
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.
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