Zinfandel of the Month is a regular feature on Zinfandel Chronicles. Keep in mind that although the Zinfandel of the Month might be an older bottle, the current vintage will be one you can find at retail or via the mailing list.
The June Zinfandel of the Month is the 2015 Once & Future Wine Zinfandel Frank’s Block Teldeschi Vineyard.
I chose this wine with the recent news of Ravenswood being sold to Gallo. The closure of the tasting room has put the brand in jeopardy. Fear not though as brands like Once & Future, Carlisle and Turley will continue to champion Single Vineyard Zins.
Joel Peterson founded Ravenswood Winery in 1976 with a focus on Single Vineyard Zinfandel. Ravenswood was immensely successful and over time began producing in excess of a million cases per year. Once & Future is the return to the original vision Joel had for Ravenswood so many years ago – a small project specializing in wines from unique older vineyards. At present time Once & Future makes several Zins along with a Merlot, Mataro and Petite Sirah.
Teldeschi Vineyard is spread across three ranches on the east bench of Dry Creek Valley. The vineyard dates back to the 1890’s.
Bright crimson in color. 15% ABV. Brilliant nose of brambly red fruits, peach, anise and pepper. Full bodied with exquisite acidity. Just a cascade of bright, jammy, plush fruits. Cherry liqueur, boysenberry, blood orange and pepper on the palate. Tremendous length on the finish. Simply put, an awesome bottle of Zinfandel. Run, don’t walk, to get on the mailing list. Best over the next 2-4 years.
My rating: 94 points.
I always hesitate to suggest yet another mailing list to my readers but I’ll make an exception here. Sign up soon as I suspect these wines will be hard to come by in the not so distant future. The next release should be early next year.