Double Gold - Tasters Guild International Consumer Judging, 2011
As we approach our two year anniversary at WineHeist, one of the things that pleases us the most is the relationships we have built up with certain wineries that consistently over-deliver on quality for the price. A great example of such a winery is our friends at R&B Cellars, which is producing some of the finest reasonably priced full-bodied red wines in the state. Today’s offering is another great example; the 2008 Zydeco Zinfandel, sourced from prime Napa real estate and aged in 100% new French oak at the staggering price of $22.40.
Medium ruby in color, the 2008 R&B Cellars Zydeco Napa Valley Zinfandel offers classic Zin aromas of cherry, blackberry, and strawberry jam. The palate shows juicy, almost candied fruit flavors, with hints of spice and vanilla. Medium bodied, with a rich, syrupy finish, this is perfect grilling wine, screaming out for red meat. This an unapologetically brash wine, with massive extraction and 100% new oak, and is certain to please fans of good old-fashioned tooth-staining California Zinfandel!
Vineyards
Bingham Ranch is one of the oldest vineyards in the Napa Valley. It has been in the same family since the mid 1800's, homesteading times, and was planted with vineyards in the 1950's. The zinfandel was planted in the 1980's, and is on the northern edge of the ranch. It is a small berry clone that benefits from extended hang time for optimal ripeness.
The Wine
Harvested in late October, the zinfandel from Bingham ranch was perfect. Fruit was hand sorted, and then crushed and de-stemmed into three-quarter ton macro bins. A three-day cold soak was done before fermentation. Hand punched down twice a day during fermentation and then gently pressed off and put into 100% French oak barrels. The wine was racked four times while aging in barrels, and then lightly filtered for bottling.
Winemaker's Comments
Typical of a Napa zinfandel, the Bingham Ranch zinfandel is dark, rich, and intense. Blackberries and dark black cherries are the predominant fruits in this rich, extracted wine. The French oak is the perfect compliment to the fruit, adding hints of chocolate and toasty vanilla tones in the finish. The wine starts with an initial explosion of black fruit, and then opens layer upon layer of rich fruit and spice, to a long and mouth filling finish.
Vineyards: Bingham Ranch, Napa Valley
Composition: 95% Zinfandel, 5% Petite Sirah
Harvested: October 2008
Bottled: August 2010
Released: Late Fall 2010
Production: 325 Cases
Cooperage: 100% French Oak, 8 coopers – Jarnac, Rousseau, St., Martin, Boutes, Vicard, Seguin, Moreau, Treuil, Radoux, 100% new
94 Points
Decadent, rich, and supple. Aromas of black cherry, dark chocolate, crushed stone, dried herbs, and cedar lead into layered notes of cassis, fennel, baked plums, mocha powder, and cigars dusted with roasted Herbs de Provence, earth and red volcanic mineral notes. Full-bodied and rich, with a firm spine of racy acidity and ultra-fine, gravelly tannins that carry the lasting, mouthwatering finish.
93 Points
Aromas of blackcurrant, dark plum, and cedar unfold alongside soft notes of vanilla and toasted oak. On the palate, structured tannins frame layers of black cherry, baking spice, and a subtle herbal lift from the Merlot blended beneath the Cabernet's backbone. Medium-bodied gem with good concentration finishing long and warm, with lingering impressions of cocoa and dried fig.
94 Points
A full-throttle, blackberry-driven red, laden with chalky minerality and layered with robust tannins. Violet scents mingle with fig and plum fruit in a medium- to full-bodied expression that hits all the right chords, delivering a pleasing one-two punch to the senses.
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