Bradford Mountain Winery
2011 Grist Vineyard Zinfandel
Zinfandel •Grist Vineyard
Dry Creek Valley
Mission Briefing
The Best is Back
Our top-selling Zinfandel was a Bradford Mountain Winery Zin. It shattered records and had our Operatives practically begging for more. Today, dear Operative, your wait is over. We are very pleased to offer you the best Bradford Zin we have ever tasted, their single vineyard delight, the 2011 Bradford Mountain Grist Vineyard Zinfandel.
This wine is, in a word, amazing. It delivers a drinking experience that one would expect from a far pricier wine earning it our special QPR (Quality to Price Ratio) Alert.
Delicious, balanced and exciting, this budget-friendly wine is a highly recommended must buy.
Tasting Profile
| Look: | Dark crimson with a translucent heart. At the edge of the glass, a fine circle of plum juice hue encircles the wine. |
|---|---|
| Smell: | Intriguing and very full on the nose with lush aromas of blackberry, dark tobacco leaf, cherry, raspberry, blueberry, maple syrup, creme brulee and cranberry. |
| Taste: | Juicy and dark with blackberry, pomegranate, black cherry, tobacco, leather, cherry cordial, dark chocolate, espresso and supple leather. |
| Finish: | Very long and bursting with flavor, this wine presents concentrated fruits at the mid-palate, transitioning to bright and tart flavors at the edges. |
| Pairing: | This juicy Zin begs to be paired with a grilled marinated tri-tip steak. |
What the Winery Says
2011 Grist Vineyard Zinfandel
Harvested entirely from the oldest blocks of the Grist Vineyard this wine shows all of the power and depth you would expect from its high elevation site. Blackberry and raspberry are evident in the nose with echoing flavors and mouth-watering, juicy qualities. Concentrated, rich layers of fresh berries and dark Plum linger in the finish.
The Grist vineyard has long been known for producing wines of great concentration and depth, while still preserving the elegance on the palate that is the hallmark of Dry Creek Zinfandel. Blackberry and raspberry are evident in the nose and the fruit continues to the palate, concentrated, rich and layered in flavors. There is no doubt about the wines power, it is a monster, but one that possesses the grace of a ballet dancer. Think of it as the iron fist in the velvet glove…
- Composition
- 91% Zinfandel, 9% Petite Sirah
- Cooperage
- 10 months in French oak barrels; 50% new
- Alcohol
- 14.7%
- pH
- 3.70
- TA
- 6.6 g/l
- Production
- 733 cases
- Suggested Retail
- $35.00
About the Winery
George Hambrecht started the Bradford Mountain label just out of college, in the late ’90s. Today the Hambrecht family continues its ownership of the vineyard land. When crafting Bradford Mountain wines we strive to walk the line between power and elegance, producing concentrated fruit forward Dry Creek Valley wines with a backbone of iron.
Bradford Mountain is the tallest of the hills making up the coastal range bordering the west side of the Dry Creek Valley in northern Sonoma County. The Dry Creek Valley has long been known for producing zinfandels of both great elegance and power. It is here that the raspberry flavors in the variety step to the fore. Because of the climate, the vines tend to ripen evenly, producing wines with concentration but without weight. Fruit from the hills surrounding the valley offers the same palate, with the addition of greater depth of flavor and a bit more spice.
Winemaker Virginia Marie Lambrix
While on vacation in South Africa, Virginia Lambrix tasted her first “serious wine.” Captured always by a love of nature and the out-of-doors, she determined it was time to learn about the art of the vineyard – viticulture. Within a year, Virginia was studying horticulture and agronomy in the master’s program at the University of California, Davis, with an emphasis on viticulture and enology. Upon graduation, she worked at the Hendry Ranch in Napa, and for Concha y Toro in Chile.
In 2004, Virginia visited a biodynamic farm in Chile. It was immediately clear to her that the biodynamic principles of respecting nature and nurturing ecology within the vineyard made sense in both a scientific framework and on an intuitive level. She embraced the philosophy and made a point to study and implement its principles at every opportunity. With this knowledge, she returned to work in California for Lynmar and De Loach Vineyards, both of which are in the Russian River Valley.
During her three years at De Loach Vineyards, Virginia worked closely with her growers, moving their vineyards to more sustainable farming methodologies and, in the process, improving quality and moderating farming costs. Her mentor at De Loach, Greg La Follette, taught her to understand both vineyards and winemaking at an intuitive level.
Working side-by-side with winemakers Hugh Chappelle at Lynmar Estate and Greg La Follette, Virginia couldn’t help but follow their winemaking with interest and in 2008 she began making wine for Truett Hurst Winery. Bringing her former background in the Russian River Valley to the attention of the Truett Hurst team, she added Russian River Valley wines to the winery’s portfolio.
Today, she oversees winemaking for Truett Hurst wines in Dry Creek Valley, VML Winery in Russian River Valley, as well as the Bradford Mountain and Healdsburg Ranches brands.
Virginia is a strong advocate for alternative agriculture. She is currently on the Demeter Board for education on biodynamic farming, with the goal of developing educational resources for farmers who are pursuing this approach to farming.