Bruce who? Wayne? Lee? Springsteen?

Does it matter if a ZIN is SO yummy? It’s Bruce whomever you want it to be!

Truth is, our hero Bruce commissioned this as a custom crush project but did not follow through, and we ended up with a sample. One taste and BOOM. We were head over heels in love. Seriously? We thought, how is this so complex and delicious for being so affordable?!

All roads of greatness lead to OLD VINE ZIN, and in this case to where those vines are the happiest ones on earth, the sandy soils of Lodi. And not just any ole vineyards, but this is from those farmed by the JW Moore clan, responsible for vineyards that are registered by the Historic Vineyard Society farming vines dating back to the 1930s and supplying outstanding Zin year in and year out to top wineries.

For EIGHTEEN DOLLARS it drinks better than just about anything in the $30-40+ range or way higher even. Jammy raspberry and blackberry, with fresh roses and baking spices adding complexity. The velvet-rich mouthfeel offers sappy dark berry flavors with liqueur-like intensity and depth that are enlivened by juicy acidity. An impressively fresh and focused Zin with lasting lift and intensity, leaving behind floral pastilles and smoky minerals. Bonus points for the sleek Art Deco label.

We’re not surprised by how good it is. Winemaker Erica Stancliff learned from the very best: Paul Hobbs. It actually started when she was only 10. Hobbs came over for dinner and brought a bottle of 1997 Michael Black Napa Merlot. Hobbs poured her a taste and asked her to smell the glass and describe what she smelled. Outpoured adjectives that would have made any wine writer proud. Then she tasted it. Again, the sensory descriptors flowed.

Hobbs’ response: “you need to be a winemaker!” And so, the stage was set, eventually Hobbs took her under his wing and stayed a mentor as she became more invested in winemaking. From there she worked at Crossbarn, Rudd Estate, and her own label Trombetta and as an enologist under Michael Browne (of Kosta Browne) before making her way to Furthermore… Yeah, that kind of a star-studded winemaking journey.

Gnarly old vines, superb fruit, impeccable winemaking, all for 18 bucks? Destined for rapid sellout!