Alexander Valley Vineyards and the Wetzel family have a long history with Zinfandel. The legacy began with Sin Zin in 1978 when Hank produced our first vintage of Alexander Valley Zinfandel for friends and family. We followed up with Redemption featuring Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel in 2001 and in 2004 produced a completely different style of wine using a blend of our three favorite regions of Zinfandel for Temptation. We’ve loved all three over the decades, yet we’ve always had a soft spot for the elegant, jammy and spicy fruit flavors of Zinfandel from the Alexander Valley. This fourth release celebrates that style along with our classic Alexander Valley Vineyards label.
The 2018 growing season began a bit cooler than the past few vintages, but we had a near perfect fruit set with moderate summer temperatures and relatively few heat spikes. The mild weather led to a longer hang time, allowing the grapes to ripen slowly with excellent flavors and balanced natural acidity. Harvest occurred over a four week period. The wine was aged for 14 months in American oak barrels.
This wine has great color, with a dark purple and red hue. There are spicy, earthy aromas of black cherry, black pepper, plum, raspberry and a touch of citrus. The 2018 Zinfandel is a spicy wine with rich earthy flavors of black cherry, plum, black pepper, apricot and a hint of chocolate. This is a Zinfandel to savor with hints of brown sugar and warm spices along with great balance and a nice clean finish.
Accolades:
2018: 90 points - Wine Spectator
2018: 97 points, Double Gold & Best of Class - Sunset International Wine Competition
2018: 94 points & Gold Medal - Los Angeles Invitational Wine Challenge
2018: 91 points & Gold Medal - Santé International Wine Competition
2018: 90 Points & Best Buy - Wine & Spirits Magazine
2018: Gold Medal & Best of Class - North of the Gate Wine Competition
2018: Gold Medal & Top of Class - San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo Competition
