ENTHUSIAST OF ALL

A second trip to Healdsburg in nine months offered us the chance to re-taste a lot of our favorite wines from our September visit, but also led to some new discoveries, as the 2023 vintage shows great early promise, and many of the 2022s we missed last time are delivering on their potential.

While many of last year’s wines were re-tasted and scores confirmed, the list below relays only the new tasting scores from this visit. Please refer to last year’s link for those previous scores. For the second consecutive year, Bedrock provided the wine of the trip!

ZINFANDEL:

1. Bedrock Heritage Bedrock Vineyard Sonoma Valley 2023, 96 Points, $60: Remarkably textured for its overall richness, as thick, intense, smoky and defined dark raspberry fruit evolves into giant black plum, blackberry and anise notes gliding over a delightfully youthful and chewy texture. Explodes into a cracked pepper and briary spice underbelly, picking up creamy espresso and mocha bean accents that linger long with complexities of wet mineral, charcoal and clove spice. Zinfandel, Carignan and Mataro.
2. Jeff Cohn Zinfandel St. Peter’s Church Vineyard Alexander Valley 2022, 96 Points, $65: A powerhouse, with thick blackberry and spicy black licorice flavors above detailed layers of smoked meat and cracked pepper. This is rich and intense on a whole new level, yet maintains a smooth elegance and silky texture throughout, lingering long with a dark chocolate component that elevates this. An absolute knockout Zin.
3. Seghesio Zinfandel Cortina Dry Creek Valley 2023, 95 Points, $50: This exudes the essence of Dry Creek, with an intriguingly backward-wound profile of crackling briar and brambly herbs that encompass rich blackberry, black cherry and black licorice flavors, lingering long with a blast of cracked pepper. Silky, toasty and elegant throughout, showing an electric energy.
4. Robert Biale Zinfandel Beatty Ranch Howell Mountain 2022, 95 Points, $65: Complex on the nose, with intense plum fruit above potpourri and baking spice notes. Luscious on the palate, with layers of mouth-coating wild raspberry and dark plum above white pepper spice, lavender and clove, picking up delicious black licorice and exotic spice elements as it lingers long and effortlessly. A delicate and decidedly feminine style, almost Pinot-like, but packs a distinctive punch of flavor and complexity.
5. Mauritson Zinfandel Rockpile Ridge 2022, 94 Points, $54: Silky and balanced, with a streak of cracked pepper running though the wild raspberry and black cherry fruit flavors. Complex and full of personality, with notes of rocky mineral and subtle mocha layered through the long finish. Refined tannins add grip, has serious potential.
6. Robert Biale Zinfandel Pagani Ranch Sonoma Country 2022, 94, $60: Polished and energetic, with lively wild berry and briary blackberry fruit that lingers long with black pepper spice and a mocha edge. Picks up an understated wet mineral accent through the long finish. Plush texture keeps the fruit and mocha flavors pumping with impressive and forceful drive.
7. Bedrock Papera Ranch Heritage Russian River Valley 2022, 94, $60: Deep and velvety, with blackberry pie and violety plum fruit flavors that show undertones of white pepper, baking spices and sassafras. Super elegant texture with fruit that keeps pumping through the long finish.
8. Limerick Lane Zinfandel Maffei Russian River Valley 2023, 94 Points, $64: Elegant and velvety, with perfumey blackberry, plum and licorice flavors that show rustic and briary undertones. Lingers long with white pepper, dried herbs and baking spices adding depth and complexity behind laser-focused and well-integrated tannins.
9. Seghesio Zinfandel Home Ranch Alexander Valley 2022, 94 Points, $65: Incredible aromas of briary berry fruit and mocha powder. Bursting with personality, rich and burly yet finessed, with wild raspberry and thick blackberry that explodes into an underbelly of creamy toffee, cracked pepper and anise as this lingers long with authority.
10. Limerick Lane Zinfandel Monte Rosso Moon Mountain District 2022, 94 Points, $72: Focused yet rugged, with understated black cherry and wild raspberry that glide over notes of earthy truffle, wet rocks, orange peel spice and anise root. This lingers long and turns deliciously dusty on the finish. Rustic and streamlined as it lingers.
11. Limerick Lane Zinfandel Marquis Sonoma County 2022, 94 Points, $72: Ultra-silky and soft on the palate, with a pure core of exquisite blueberry, plum and licorice flavors that meld perfectly, gaining complexity from a backbone of peppery spice and a hint of mocha. Long finish shows an orange peel tinge, delicious stuff.
12. Mauritson Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley 2022, 93 Points, $47: Super concentrated and explosive, with briary raspberry and black cherry fruit that is rich and intense above its savory cracked pepper underbelly. Plush texture feels luxurious over the long finish, with grippy tannins creeping in late, but the fruit carries with a zing.
13. Nalle Zinfandel Old Vine Dry Creek Valley 2023, 93 Points, $52: Plush and juicy, with a solid purple fruit core of dark plum and blackberry that is considerably deeper and more powerful than the ’22. A streak of briary spice kicks in through the long finish, very terroir expressive.
14. Hartford Family Zinfandel Hartford Vineyard Russian River Valley 2022, 93 Points, $65: Aromas of cinnamon, clove and herbaceous sage embrace red fruit undertones. Plump texture of juicy red plum and wild raspberry flavors that are polished and intense, lingering long with white pepper, black licorice and exotic baking spice nuances.
15. Seghesio Zinfandel Montafi Ranch Russian River Valley 2022, 93 Points, $75: Aromas of red berry fruit and dusty mineral. Juicy and expressive, with dark raspberry and black cherry fruit that forms a solid, acidic core. Shows a slightly rugged mineral underbelly but gains complexity from exotic baking spice accents. Long finish.
16. Robert Biale Zinfandel Dickerson Vineyard St. Helena 2022, 93 Points, $75: Perfumey plum and eucalyptus aromas explode into rich blueberry and plum paste, turning silky and light on the back end of the palate with its layers of charred oak, wet cedar and clove spice. Prickly tannins clamp down through the finish, needs some time to reach full potential, but rocking in its youth.
17. Pedroncelli Zinfandel Mother Clone Dry Creek Valley 2022, 92 Points, $24: Emits the Dry Creek essence, with jammy but dark raspberry fruit and black licorice flavors that explode into undertones of brairy herbs and black pepper spice, lingering long with just a hint of mocha over a svelte texture. An astounding value.
18. Limerick Lane Zinfandel Russian River Valley 2023, 92 Points, $46: Plump and fruit forward in its youth, with vibrant raspberry, red plum and linzer torte flavors that glide over a silky texture. Shows undertones of cracked pepper and briary herbs through the long finish.
19. BACA Zinfandel Cat’s Cradle Rockpile 2021, 92 Points, $50: Perfumey blackberry fruit is ultra-extracted over a deep and chewy texture, showing cracked pepper undertones. Lacks the nuance and electricity of the 2022, but sure packs a punch of dark fruit through the long finish.
20. BACA Pinch Hitter Paso Robles 2022, 92 Points, $50: Fruity and ripe, with black cherry and licorice flavors gliding over cracked pepper, clove and cinnamon undertones through the long finish. Zinfandel and Carignan.

PINOT NOIR

1. Charlie Clay Pinot Noir Russian River Valley 2023, 92 Points, $67: Sleek and heavily perfumed over a fleshy texture of wild raspberry, showing deeper undertones of violety blueberry that evolve into understated wet chalky mineral, earthy mushroom and tea leaf. Long, elegant finish.
2. Hartford Family Pinot Noir Jennifer’s Vineyard Russian River Valley 2023, 92 Points, $85: Floral nose of perfumey violet. Silky body of blueberry and red plum hover above potpourri and a hint of earthy mushroom. Lingers long and elegantly, with baking spices pumping through the long finish.
3. Nalle Zinot Noir Sonoma Country 2022, 90 Points, $58: A bizarre but welcoming experience, with red fruit flavors of plum and berry combining with orange peel, rose petal and white pepper spice through the medium length.
4. Hartford Family Pinot Noir Mundane Trail Mendocino Country 2022, 90 Points, $78: Muscular and slightly brooding, with soft blackberry and licorice flavors that show cool climate influences of wet mineral underneath. Medium length.
5. Nalle Pinot Noir Hopkins Ranch Russian River Valley 2021, 89 Points, $62: Very delicate mouthfeel, with a streak of tobacco and cracked pepper weaving through supple blackberry fruit that checks out mid-palate.

WHITES

1. Quivira Sauvignon Blanc Fig Tree Vineyard Dry Creek Valley 2022, 92 Points, $32: A delicious example of the varietal, with juicy pineapple, tropical melon, pear and lemon fruit that glide over a texture that turns creamy on the back end, lingering long with citrusy fruit and exotic spice that keeps pumping. 
2. Hartford Family Chardonnay Far Coast Sonoma Coast 2022, 92 Points, $75: Clean and engaging, with citrusy lemon, peach and tropical melon fruit flavors that glide along the palate with crisp minerality, a touch of sea salt, and very understated oak. Smooth, svelte and Burgundian.
3. Hartford Family Chardonnay Fog Dance Green River of Russian River Valley 2022, 91 Points, $70: Rich and complex, with luscious golden apple and poached pear wrapped in layers of butterscotch and vanilla bean. This lingers long and elegantly. 
4. Mauritson Sauvignon Blanc Unicorn Series Dry Creek Valley 2023, 90 Points, $50: Elegant and floral, with lovely honey dew and lemon fruit that evolve into a creamy texture of vanilla bean that smooths out the tartness considerably. Long finish, like a white Bordeaux.
5. Nalle Chardonnay Hopkins Ranch Russian River Valley 2022, 90 Points, $62: Bright and citrusy, with peach and nectarine flavors that are rich and juicy, lingering long and effortlessly with elements of crème brulee on the back end. 

Off the beaten path when visiting northern Sonoma, a trip to southern Napa to visit Robert Biale is becoming a can’t miss stop for us.