Thursday, October 2, 2014

Dry Creek Vineyard 2012 Old Vine Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley


There is no legal definition for “old vine” vineyards. Some say the vines must be at least 50 years old. For this bottle of Old Vine Zinfandel from Dry Creek Vineyard, it just doesn’t matter.
The vines for this wine are 90 or more years old and are still going strong. The old vines, some more than 110 years old, have a low yield, but each grape is a masterpiece of concentrated flavor.
This vintage of Old Vine Zin benefitted from almost perfect growing conditions and 2012 will go down as one of the finest in recent history. Dry Creek Valley is a premier location for Zinfandel. All these ingredients blend nicely into the production of an elegant wine.
In the glass the wine is deep purple. The wine is 77% Zinfandel with 23% Petite Sirah, adding to its intense color and flavor palette. This is the greatest percentage of PS in recent years.
The flavor profile features swirls of raspberry and lavender. The tannins are well integrated in a rich, succulent body. On the finish there is a bit of spicy sizzle.
Dry Creek Vineyard excels at Zin. The Old Vine Zin retails for $30 and is suitable for a special occasion or an ordinary occasion you want to elevate. We’ve sampled the DCV Old Vine Zin vintages since 2008 and believe this is their finest.
Full disclosure: We received this wine as a marketing sample.

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