HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!!

What’s more apropos for the celebration of our nation than this - big, brawny, take-no-prisoners style ZINFANDEL!! “America’s grape” at a price that screams FREEDOM from taxation. Well, at least freedom from retailer markup since we broke 60% OFF the price.

We still need to pay Uncle Sam… sadly.

But seriously… Monte Rosso ZINFANDEL!! 93 points from Wine Enthusiast!!

This was $75 at the winery and it’s $30 today. You can practically hear the bald eagles triumphantly screeching and the whiz-bang and whistle of fireworks already.

Nottingham Cellars is a newer producer to Napa but not to fine wine. If you had the Pinot we offered a few weeks back, you know what’s in store. And that is extremely high quality, well-made wines – while certainly not for the faint of heart.

Zinfandel is truly an original American success story. No trace exists in Europe, aside from perhaps Primitivo, but even then, the DNA is uniquely rooted in our country. And then there’s Monte Rosso Vineyard. This high elevation (1,300’) site on the Mayacamas range is quite simply one of the TOP spots to grow Zinfandel, and home to some of the absolute best examples from Biale, Carlisle, and Turley since it was planted in the 1880s and put on the map by the visionary Louis M. Martini.

Add this to the list. This stuff has a deep black fruit core, with brambly, spicy blackberries, and toasted oak. Heaps of dried mixed fruits, a dusting of some wild herbs, and a wisp of cigar. It’s big, spicy, and luscious and if you’re a big fan of high-octane reds, you’re going to LOVE it.

According to a recent Wine Spectator article, “The soil is fairly consistent throughout - a red hill soil series mix of clay and loam that is porous, drains well but has good water retention below. And being a mountain site, the grapes here deliver distinctive tannins different from the plush-styled fruit that comes off the warm valley floor. ‘Not as chunky and chewy as, say, Howell Mountain,’ says Michael Eddy, the winemaker for the Martini wines… ‘There’s brightness and firmness to the backbone and a distinct mineral note in the wines. Monte Rosso is a contrarian vineyard.’ …Among the great wines of the era, the ‘68 shows the longevity of the wines that come from this famed vineyard.”

The ‘68? Damn.

That’s it! We’re off to the cabana at Coppola’s estate in Geyserville for the remainder of the day, before the drone show in downtown Napa, staying hydrated with rosé to stay cool during this heat wave. Have a safe and happy fourth!

93 Points – Wine Enthusiast

“Dense and concentrated, this wine from a storied mountaintop vineyard calls for mushroom risotto or osso buco since its grippy tannins and wonderful, dried-fruit flavors are great foils for rich dishes. A deep color leads to generous oak-spice notes over powerful blackberry and raspberry flavors.”