The Federalist Zinfandel Visionary 2016

There is no grape as markedly American as Zinfandel. And no place like Dry Creek Valley, with its potent heat by day and Pacific-cooled breeze by night, to bring forth that larger-than-life berry fruit character in every bottle.

Bottle Size: 750 ml

Appellation: Sonoma County

Sub-Appellation: Dry Creek Valley

Grape Varieties: Zinfandel; Carignane

Alcohol Percentage: 14.90%

Fermentation: Different blocks were fermented separately to preserve ideal characteristics of each. Each block spends an average of 12 days on the skins.

Aging: The separate blocks were blended post malolactic fermentation and aged for 16 months in 20% new oak barrels.

Nose

First impression: Full on olfactory seduction and sweet niceness. There are black fruits (blackcurrant/cassis), raisins, cloves, liquorice and the kind of vanilla that you get with Bourbon (new American Oak?).

Also some baked sweet deliciousness – perhaps Battenberg cake – plus candied almonds. It’s not hugely aromatic, per se but goddamn, it smells amazing! The nose knows.

And, as with many such wines, there is also a heady alcoholic kick. Aeration takes some of the sharp booziness off of the nose. Rum steeped raisins become soft vanilla…

Palate

First impression: Smooth as glass and with heroic fruitiness. There are ripe plums and wonderfully gentle tannins that are like the entire angelic hierarchy doing a dance on your tongue.

After you acclimatise the predominant taste is a spicy clamour of cloves, red fruit  vanilla, blackstrap molasses and blackcurrants – imagine Ribena but with alcohol and a much more subtle, rounded taste. It is wonderful. At 15% ABV you wouldn’t know it.

It is so easy drinking that it should perhaps come with a disclaimer. 

Finish

Medium to short – the smoothness does not linger too long. The raisins, redfruit and a small bit of vanilla stick around on your tongue, but not nearly for as long as you might like (which is, I suppose, where this wine falls down a little).

What you’re left with is a slight creaminess from the oak – and when you exhale from your nose, some vanilla and fruit. And your life affirming memories. Better have another glass.