Operative favorite Deerfield Ranch Winery returns with an all new Zinfandel that you’ve all been waiting for. Deerfield has included Los Chamizal Vineyard fruit in every vintage of their Sonoma Valley Zin, but this particular year the fruit was so damn tasty that winemaker Robert Rex decided to do a vineyard designate! Master winegrower of Los Chamizal vineyard, Peter Hayward, has been working with Robert Rex for over 30 years. Those kinds of close relationships between vineyard and winery owner create the best wines. Robert knows every vine in the vineyard, selecting the very best rows in the vineyard, adjusting for the year’s weather conditions. The result of this partnership is a powerhouse showcase of the terroir and some of the best that Sonoma Valley has to offer.

A slightly hazy yet lucidly deep garnet with ruby shades over the wide circumference intrigues with the first glance. Port-like brandy seeped black cherry, gingerbread, clove, and pomegranate molasses are some of the multitudes of aromatics that compose the bouquet. The palate is all about mouth-coating fine tannins and intensity building up around balsamic, fig, and nutmeg. Spicy and persistent on the long finish, with a savory menthol edge, heightened by sweet toasty coconut. This heavyweight champion needs a pepper-crusted bone-in ribeye with a Saba glaze.

Hurry - We were only able to secure a small allocation, and Deerfield has held the position of Wine Spies’ top winery in the past - so it sells out fast. Deerfield has been featured in our Wine Intrigue Awards for Best Wine, Best Winery, Best Winemaker, and Operative Favorite - all in different years! Yes, we’ve been featuring their wines for well over a decade and are blown away by the consistent quality. Even among the terrific wines of theirs we’ve featured, today’s Deerfield Ranch 2013 Los Chamizal Vineyard Sonoma Valley Zinfandel is exceptional.

Robert Rex, Deerfield’s storied winemaker won Winemaker of the Year at the American Fine Wine Competition - Accolades that are well deserved for his distinctive style. Deerfield is also known for properly aging their wines and releasing them only when they are ready for showtime. This 2013 Zinfandel was released in 2019! Deerfield offers are harder and harder to come by these days, so don’t miss out!