Mission Codename Over the Speedy Limit
We were floored by this rare Primitivo clone of Zinfandel from Sonoma’s rural Knights Valley. Oozing with the ripe dusty berry charm of Zin with deeper notes of rock and hillside spices. Speedy Creek taps into something special on their gorgeous mountain vineyard which was planted by Robert Mondavi himself.
Peter Michael is usually the only winery in Sonoma’s Knights Valley that wine drinkers recognize. After all, this remote, mountainous AVA contains fewer than 10 wineries! So it’s no surprise that Speedy Creek Vineyard is largely unknown, but it quietly makes one of CA’s most exciting single vineyard Zins. Robert Mondavi planted the vineyard to the original Italian Primitivo clone of Zinfandel. He felt that the volcanic mountain dirt had the potential for Zin greatness. Thirty years later, it’s pretty clear that he was spot on. Speedy Creek Zinfandel is an undiscovered star of the highly-regarded Knights Valley.
96 Points Christopher Sawyer, Sommelier and Wine Critic
Aromas of dark berries, licorice, tobacco, spice and smoky cedar. The flavors are elegant with hefty layers of crushed raspberries, dark plum, wild strawberries, pomegranate, rustic spices, and roasted walnuts. As a result, the longer the wine develops in the glass, the richness of the flavors becomes more pronounced. Overall, it’s a magnificent offering of Zinfandel with true mountain character.
What the Winery Says
2011 Knights Valley Zinfandel
- Winemaker
- David Burton
- Vintage
- 2011
- Appellation
- Knights Valley, Sonoma County
- Varietal
- 100% Zinfandel “Primitivo Clone”
- Abv
- 14.9%
- Aging
- 18 months
- Barrels
- Neutral French oak