Saddleback Cellars
2013 Napa Valley Old Vine Zinfandel
Zinfandel •Frediani Vineyard
California: Napa Valley: Calistoga
Mission Briefing
The Zin King
By now you know that Saddleback is one of our favorite small wineries. We’ve been showcasing their wines here since 2007. After tasting their wines back then, I set about to learn all that I could about their winery and winemaker.
Winemaker Nils Venge is the first American winemaker to have garnered a perfect 100 point score. That was back in 1985, when Robert Parker gave Nils’ Groth Cabernet the score that would rocket Nils to winemaking stardom.
This wine is very fragrant, with a full bouquet of fruit, flowers, earth and spice. A heady rush of aromas jumps from the glass, leading with Smoky black cherry, blackberry jam, blueberry, dried violet, cigar box, dried twigs, brown spice and black pepper.
An explosion of flavors on the palate, including Black cherry, blackberry, cassis, tobacco, leather, dried violet, toasty oak, spice and black pepper.
Today’s award-winning 2013 Napa Valley Old Vine Zinfandel is available today only at better than 25% off. This delicious wine is a big, bold, juicy cowboy style wine with tons of character. Reserve yours soon though, our allocation is modest - and expected to be very popular.
Tasting Profile
Look: | Dark garnet with a shimmery surface. Tall, wine-colored tears cling to the glass wall, moving slowly downward. |
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Smell: | Smoky black cherry, blackberry jam, blueberry, dried violet, cigar box, dried twigs, brown spice and black pepper. |
Taste: | Black cherry, blackberry, cassis, tobacco, leather, dried violet, toasty oak, spice and black pepper. |
Finish: | Very long and very plush with chewy tannins that shepherd a spreading dryness across the palate. |
Pairing: | Enjoy this wine with your favorite zesty BBQ… like spare ribs! |
What the Winery Says
- Winemaker
- Nils Venge
- Varietal
- Zinfandel
- Composition
- 88% Zinfandel from Frediani Vineyard
- ~
- 12% Petite Sirah from Rattlesnake Vineyard
- Vintage
- 2013
- Appellation
- Napa Valley, Calistoga
- Harvest date
- September 17, 2013
- Abv
- 14.8%
- Average Sugar
- 25 Brix
- TA
- 6.1 g/L
- pH
- 3.88
- Aging
- 24 months
- Barrels
- 65% New American Oak
- Bottling date
- March 18, 2015
- Production
- 768 cases