Winegrower John Louvau found an ancient block of 100+-year-old Zinfandel grapes, buried beneath the bramble and brush on his Dry Creek Valley ranch… Those grapes inspired Tom Meadowcroft to make today’s delectable Meadowcroft Wines 2014 Louvau Vineyard Dry Creek Valley Sonoma County Zinfandel. The rest is history, especially once you pour your first aromatic and richly delicious glass. This wine is elegant, sturdy and super fun to drink.

Like many Zinfandels, this one is semi-translucent with a bright crimson core and ruby red lip. The nose is pure Dry Creek Valley with dusty bramble, gingerbread, vanilla, molasses, blackberry, hibiscus, and caramel. Yum! Absolutely delicious, juicy flavors of rhubarb, blueberries, blackberries, ripe plum, vanilla barrel spice, and creme brulee. Beautiful top notch Zinfandel with giant flavor nuance without being too “hot”, as they so often are. Just tasty. Best paired with good company or a good movie. Or both. (Read: You don’t need anything else to make this wine more awesome.)

The Louvau Vineyard in the Dry Creek Valley AVA was established in the late 1980s. Founder John Louvau believed this vineyard site to be perfect for growing grapes. He was not the first person to think this. As he began to prepare the site for grape growing, John found a block of nearly 100-year-old vines beneath a tangle of raspberry bushes and weeds. The Louvau Vineyard has produced grapes for a select number of wineries, whose offerings from this vineyard have always been considered nothing short of outstanding.

.

Here’s what the wine press has to say.

90 Points - Adam Edmonsond, The Sommelier Company - “Supple and juicy, balanced and refined—this is Zinfandel’s elegant side. The foreground is equal measures of brambly dark fruit and concentrated red fruit, with an enduring overlay of rose perfume. Eastern and barbecue spices linger on the finish with black licorice, molasses and cocoa.”

Jörn Kleinhans, CSW - “This Zinfandel shows a wide, layered multiplicity of aromas and flavors. The body is typically full but not a jammy Zinfandel body. Characteristic of Dry Creek, its balance is noteworthy, and that allows delicate flavors on the palate to keep in step with a complex nose.”