Parducci 2015 85th Anniversary Wine "Limited Edition,” Mendocino County

We love anniversaries -- especially when the celebration is for a winery. Now we have another reason to cheer. Parducci Wine Cellars is marking their 85th anniversary with a special cuvée.

A Mendocino Wine Legacy

Parducci Wine Cellars was founded in 1932 by legendary California winemaker John Parducci and his family. At age 14 John travelled alone with 40 rail cars of the family grapes to sell to home winemakers during Prohibition. He became head winemaker in 1940.

He became a champion of California wines and known as “Mr. Mendocino.” He pushed for varietal labeling, particularly for Zinfandel and Petite Sirah, two signature Mendocino County grapes.

Parducci has earned a reputation for high quality – high value wines. The winery has also been recognized by the state of California for their sustainable farming and land use practices.

85 Reasons To Celebrate

The winery anniversary isn’t the only one of note this year. Bob Swain, the head winemaker, is celebrating his 20th year in that role. He selected the best grapes from the 2015 vintage to craft “85,” the special anniversary cuvée (or blend).

The wine is attractively packaged in an understated bottle with a golden “85” marking the front. That might be all that needs to be said. Parducci packed 85 years of winemaking excellence into this bottle.

We’re always looking for a reason to open a special wine. The Green Dragon whipped up some cellentani (which I learned is an Italian corkscrew pasta) with her hearty meat sauce to pair with this Bordeaux style blend.

85 is a mix of 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc. It’s a blend that is dialed in expertly! In the glass 85 is a deep purple. On the nose there are brambly, earthy aromas. On the palate the wine is medium to full bodied.

This is a robust wine that had strong tannins at first sip. As the meal progressed, the wine smoothed out and offered a lush texture and notes of dark fruit and cola.

The special anniversary 85 blend is a limited edition with an SRP of $45. It is a solid value at that price.  We suggest you pick it up while its still available, perhaps one or two for now and a couple to age. If you can’t find it in your local store, it’s available online from Parducci Wine Cellars. Happy anniversary!

Full Disclosure: We received this wine as a marketing sample.