2017 St. Francis Zinfandel Old Vines
2017 St. Francis Zinfandel Old Vines Crafted in a full bodied and elegant style, this Zinfandel has a deep, intense color along with spicy aromas of cherry red galette, clove, ground espresso bean, and a touch of lavender that precede mouth-filling flavors of dark chocolate, wild blackberry, and dried cranberry. Rich and velvety in texture, this is an opulent Zin with a long finish. Excellent with goat cheese, Asian style seafood, and pork. Blend: 83% Zinfandel, 14% Petite Sirah, 3% Syrah The 2017 St. Francis Reserve Zinfandel packs a wallop and rewards the palate. This wine shows up with black fruit and oak in its aromas and flavors. Pair it with roast, suckling pig. (Tasted: January 30, 2020, San Francisco, CA)
St. Francis
For more than four decades, the wines of St. Francis Winery & Vineyards have reflected the finest mountain and valley vineyards in Sonoma County. Our founder, Joe Martin, fell in love with Sonoma Valley and established St. Francis Vineyard in 1971, planting 22 acres of Chardonnay and the first 60 acres of Merlot in Sonoma Valley. After achieving great success as a grower, Joe opened his own winery in 1979 with his business partner Lloyd Canton.
Today, a new generation of winemakers, Katie Madigan and Chris Louton, continues our long tradition of luscious, elegant, fruit-driven wines from Sonoma County grapes. We farm more than 400 acres of Certified Sustainable estate vineyards in Sonoma Valley and Russian River Valley, each with varying compositions of loam, clay and volcanic soils. We also nurture long-term relationships with top Sonoma County grape growers, giving the Winery access to some of the region’s most coveted old vines Zinfandel and other varietals from acclaimed vineyards.
Zinfandel
Unapologetically bold, spice-driven and jammy, Zinfandel has secured it’s title as the darling of California vintners by adapting well to the states’ diverse microclimates and landscapes. Born in Croatia, it later made its way to southern Italy where it was named Primitivo. Fortunately, the imperial nursery of Vienna catalogued specimens of the vine, which sourced a journey to New England in 1829. Parading the true American spirit, Zinfandel found a new home in California during the Gold Rush of 1849. Somm Secret—California’s ancient vines of Zinfandel are those that survived the neglect of Prohibition; today these vines produce the most concentrated, ethereal and complex examples.