McFadden Family / Blue Quail, Potter Valley (Mendocino County, California) Old Vine Zinfandel 2022 ($21)

What a unique take on Old Vine Zinfandel, made from 50+ year old vines, grown on a family-owned, organic farm and vineyard in Mendocino county! Produced in a self-described “lighter Beaujolais-esque” style, this offers a pale translucent purple color and equally transparent aromas incorporating bright, crushed bramble berries, black peppery spice and surprising freshness (bottled at just 13%). Incredibly food-friendly due to its lighter weight and only moderate tannins, this seems well poised to match with a baked chicken scented with plenty of herbs. Note too that the farm also produces bay laurel wreaths for Williams-Sonoma and has been doing so for 40+ years in an effort to supplement both their and their vineyard/farmhand crew’s offseason income.
91 Andrew Holod