Kobler Estate Winery
2012 Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel
Zinfandel •Unti Vineyard
California: Sonoma County: Dry Creek Valley
Mission Briefing
Kobler Flowing
The Dry Creek Valley is known for its Zinfandel. Healdsburg’s Kobler Estate tapped into some locally-grown Unti Zin and crafted an immensely delicious Zin that we can’t get off our minds, or noses! Intensely aromatic, red-fruited, dusty licorice spices akin to Barbaresco abound.
Zinfandel comes in all shapes and sizes. Kobler’s 2012 Unti Vineyard from the Dry Creek Valley wins points for being claret-like in its food-friendly taste profile. Bright fruit with ripeness and balance. Alluring to smell, ever better to drink. Its resemblance to a warm vintage Nebbiolo from Piemonte is uncanny. Bonus points for being farmed biodynamically by Mick Unti.
Biodynamic grapes
Unti Vineyard is biodynamic grape grower located just outside of Healdsburg in Sonoma’s Dry Creek Valley. Their estate vineyards are farmed using biodynamic methods that yield exceptional fruit from a diverse array of grape varietals, many of Italian heritage.
Tasting Profile
| Look: | Bright garnet. Translucent. It glistens a light vivid red. |
|---|---|
| Smell: | Cherries and strawberries, dusty anise spices, shortbread crumbs, rose garden. Such a great smelling wine, wow! |
| Taste: | There’s a fresh juiciness here along with exotic earthy aromatics that are Italian in accent. More Nebbiolo than a Sangiovese, it’s a red-fruited explosion of flavor punctuated by a little tartness under all of the spice and ripe yumminess. Cherry pie! |
| Finish: | Perhaps the best thing about it is an honest 14.4% octane that seems no higher than 13.5%. It’s easy on the palate, and has with a moreish quality that some of the bigger Zins struggle to achieve. A super drinkable wine. And oh so delicious! |
| Pairing: | Lamb tacos made with meat from the Dry Creek Valley’s Preston Farm and Winery. With meatballs on pizza, or spaghetti. Mushrooms are a tasty base. |
What the Winery Says
- Winemaker
- Mike Kobler
- Grower
- Unti Vineyards, Dry Creek Valley AVA
- Alcohol
- 14.4%
- Cooperage
- Mix of new and used French oak
- Total Production
- 183 cases