“In California wine country, few titles carry as much weight as ‘the Godfather of Zinfandel.’ It’s a moniker that Joel Peterson has earned through decades of championing a grape.” – Wine Business

Zin people! History buffs! Anyone with a pulse!

If Vinous says Joel Peterson is “a sort of national treasure” who are we to disagree? Put him up there with Henry Winkler, Mr. Rogers and Dolly Parton.

Fill your extra Locker spaces first. Then come back to get your learning on. And make sure you check this Zinfandel Chronicles after you secure as much as you can afford.

Because these wines are NEVER this affordable.

How else can we put this? You’re looking at a wine that represents the past 50 years of American wine history. GLOBAL wine history, even.

In 1976, Joel “No Wimpy Wines” Peterson founded Ravenswood, arguably the most important winery ever (along with RIDGE perhaps). His mission? To spotlight a varietal that’s synonymous with American wine. That same year, the Bacigalupi family supplied grapes that helped power the toward victory at the infamous Paris Tasting. The word “quality” and “American wine” were no longer in contradiction.

Peterson, in his quest to reign supreme, had to get that Bacigalupi fruit. The legacy of this 4th-gen family vineyard is bolstered by Williams Selyem, Gary Ferrell, Rudd Estate, to name a few. Per the Godfather himself, “Zinfandel matures slowly here. In most years, ripe flavors develop in conjunction with sugar ripeness, unlike warmer regions where Zinfandel’s propensity for uneven ripeness and elevated sugar levels forces a winemaker to make a choice between a high flavor, high alcohol, powerful wine and a more balanced wine with less mature flavor.”

What to expect from Agent GOZ, as we have affectionately been calling him as of late? Nothing but truly astounding complexity, depth, balance, and richness to spare. How he manages this beyond the quality of the vineyard is what makes him the master. So dark the streetlights come on. So pumped full of sugar plum, brambly blackberry, fresh tobacco, dried herbs, and toasty oak that it’s hard to find where it starts or ends - an infinite cycle of complexity and depth that sends you reeling.

Vinous has the final word, “Joel Peterson is a true American icon. His track record of turning out brilliant wines stretches back to the mid-1970s. Now 77, Peterson continues to make compelling wines at Once & Future… I was deeply struck by the reality that Peterson is slowing down a bit and making fewer wines. The time will come, perhaps within the next few years, when Peterson retires, and Once & Future ceases to exist. These wines, from some of the most pedigreed sites in Sonoma, represent little pieces of history. When they are gone, they are gone.”

Agreed.

94 Points – Vinous “Despite having collected numerous accolades during a long and brilliant career, Joel Peterson retains an incredible sense of boyish enthusiasm, as if he were a young winemaker presenting his first vintage. Peterson’s knowledge of vineyards and wines is truly encyclopedic, making him a sort of national treasure. The 2021s are brilliant across the board, as readers will see in the accompanying tasting notes. The Zinfandels from Bacigalupi, Green & Red and Teldeschi are all notable, as is the Merlot from the Sangiacomo family’s Kiser ranch in Carneros. Once & Future is exactly what the name suggests – rooted in the past yet forward-looking. Quite simply, the 2021s are compelling. The 2021 Zinfandel Bacigalupi Vineyard is a rich, heady wine. Dark blue/purplish fruit, leather, licorice, incense, cloves, and leather are all amplified in this large-scaled Zinfandel. The generous presence of 15% Petite Sirah adds to the wine’s dark, imposing feel. There’s a bit of new oak sweetness, but it works quite well. Drink 2024-2036.”