Wine Last Sold on: December 31, 2012
Saddleback Cellars
Featured Wine:
2009 Zinfandel - Napa Valley
| Varietal: | Zinfandel |
| Region: | California: Napa Valley |
| Avg. Price: | $38.00 |
| Wine Spies: | $28.00 |
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2012 WINE INTRIGUE AWARDS WINNER:
Agents’ Choice: Winemaker of the Year
Welcome to day fifteen of the 6th Annual Wine Spies Wine Intrigue Awards. Every year, our Operatives and our Agents choose their favorite wines of the past year. Today, we are very pleased to present our Agents’ top winemaker- of any that we showcased in 2012.
SUPERIOR WINE ALERT:
We only showcase wines that we love. While our emphasis is on quality first, every now and again we come across a real standout wine that rises above. When we do, we issue alerts like this one.
Mission Codename: Back in the Saddle
- Operative
- Agent Red
- Objective
- Return to Saddleback Cellars - and winemaker Nils Venge - to acquire a limited quantity of Saddleback’s newest Old Vine Zinfandel, a Wine Spies Operative favorite.
- Mission Status
- Accomplished!
- Winemaker
- Nils Venge
Final Assessment
Very Highly Recommended, today’s exceptional 2009 Saddleback Cellars Old Vine Zinfandel is a truly fantastic wine that our entire tasting panel went wild for. Dark, complex, delicious and very robust, this remarkable Zinfandel won’t last the day.
Nils Venge, the first American winemaker to receive a perfect 100 Point Score, once again shows us why he is so respected and revered. Today’s wine is such a wonderful, delicious treat and we can’t help but hoard a few cases for ourselves. Hopefully you’ll leave us a few!
Pair with tangy BBQ, a juicy cheeseburger or thick grilled steak!
Tasting Profile
Beautifully deep ruby hues with perfect clarity, a condensed color from core to edge. Swirl the wine and tall, skinny, branching legs fall from high on the glass wall.
Warm and very fragrant with a bold rush of ripe blackberry, black cherry, bramble, sweet brown spice, cigar box, sweet tobacco leaf and black pepper.
Crush velvet, right on entry, then softer and smooth across the mid-palate. As the wine crosses the entire palate, plush tannins dig in, giving the wine a slightly dry, grippy feeling.
Juicy mixed berries and spice, with bold blackberry, blueberry, wild strawberry, dark raspberry and and sweet cigar box out in front. As the wine opens up, these initial flavors are joined by more subtle flavors of leather, black cherry and very subtle anise.
Super long, with dark juicy berry fruit sustaining for a very long time. These rich fruit flavors gradually yield to earthy flavors, minerals and soft spice, with an elegant dryness coming at the very end.
What the Winery Says
Nils Venge has been making Zinfandel since 1992. The majority of each vintage has come from Zinfandel grapes grown on the floor of the Napa Valley near St. Helena, California. In 1994, an additional small lot of grapes came from the Monte Rosso vineyard in Sonoma which is owned by the Martini Family. Nils always blends a little Cabernet Sauvignon into each vintage to add depth. Our Zinfandel is always treated to 100% brand new American oak and is no exception to the rule of “meal-in-a-glass” Zinfandels. The Saddleback Zinfandel has gained quite a reputation as a “monster Zin” and is in great demand. This wine has a track record of selling out within 30-45 days of release.
Our Zinfandel is always treated to 100% new American oak barrels. This meaty giant is no exception to the rule of “meal-in-a-glass” Zinfandels.
About the Winery
Here at Saddleback Cellars, we take every step to assure the highest quality wines from grape to bottle. Our goal is to produce wines that are true to their varietal and place; we limit production to only five to six thousand cases produced a year to further our goal on making truly hand-crafted wines of the highest quality. Winemaker owner Nils and Lars, our assistant winemaker, use traditional winemaking techniques to assure well balanced wines that are easy to drink young, and with the proper cellar conditions, the wines age with grace and beauty.
Since we are in the heart of Napa Valley, our first love is Cabernet Sauvignon and is the focal point of the winery; although we make a variety of wonderful wines both from our Estate Vineyard in Oakville along with many small lots of varietals from Northern California that include: Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Viognier, Merlot and Zinfandel – and even smaller lots, made especially for our Posse Wine Club, which include: Marsanne, Grenache Blanc, Charbono, Petite Sirah, Petite Verdot and Cabernet Franc to name of few.
