Cline Ancient Vines Zinfandel (1.5 Liter Magnum) 2016
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#40 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2018
The 2016 Ancient Vines Zinfandel shows spicy, bright strawberry, with coffee and chocolate characters. Ripe fruit and soft tannins make this a mouth-coating rich vintage. Aging on new and used oak has lent this wine a subtle vanilla quality that nicely complements the explosive fruit notes. Enjoy now or cellar for 5 to 7 years.
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A luxurious sipper! Coffee and strawberry please the nose as they lead to an intriguing mouthfeel. Blackberry jam washes over the soft, round palate dotted with white pepper. Plum notes go creamy on the finish with a dusting of heather. The winery’s oldest, most historic, and “shyestbearing” Zinfandel blocks contribute to 94% of this blend.
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Wine Spectator
Lively and supple, with floral raspberry and fresh pepper aromas and sleekly appealing cherry and licorice flavors that glide lightly along the finish. Drink now through 2022.
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Unapologetically bold, spice-driven and jammy, Zinfandel has secured its title as the darling of California vintners by adapting well to the state's diverse microclimates and landscapes. Born in Croatia, it later made its way to southern Italy where it was named Primitivo. Fortunately, the imperial nursery of Vienna catalogued specimens of the vine, and it later made its way to New England in 1829. Parading the true American spirit, Zinfandel found a new home in California during the Gold Rush of 1849. Somm Secret—California's ancient vines of Zinfandel are those that survived the neglect of Prohibition; today these vines produce the most concentrated, ethereal and complex examples.
A large Northern California appellation centered on the San Francisco Bay Area, the San Francisco Bay AVA falls within the larger Central Coast AVA. The smaller appellations of Livermore Valley, Pacheco Pass, San Ysidro District and Santa Clara Valley AVAs fall within the San Francisco Bay boundaries, and all produce high-quality Central Coast wines.