2019 Three Wine Company Zinfandel Contra Costa County

Winemaker Notes: This Zinfandel is a blend of 77% Zinfandel, 14% Petite Sirah, 6% Carignane, 2% Mataro and 1% Alicante Bouschet. All the grapes in the blend come from vineyard blocks with extremely sandy-loam soils called Delhi loam. Sixty-five percent of this Zinfandel blend consists of 18 to 20-year-old vines with the balance (35%) being well over 100 years old. Mid-ruby in the glass with a light garent rim. The nose delivers a stunning concentration of rich, ripe fruits (blackberry, black cherry and plum) with undertones of fresh earth, chocolate and spice. The palate is intense and overflowing with berry and cherry fruit flavors, perfectly framed by a rich and well-balanced mouthfeel that leads into a long, spicy finish. The tannins are soft, loose knit and mouthcoating, allowing the luscious fruit flavors to cascade across the palate. With all the complexity from the fruit, spice and earth flavors, the Three Zinfandel is an absolute pleasure to drink and an amazing value for all it delivers. This is the perfect weeknight wine, great with burgers, pizza or anything slicked with a rich, sweet barbecue sauce.

Matt Cline has gone back to his roots with Three Wine Company. Together with his wife, Erin, they focus on making wine from old vines of California's "heritage" varietals: Zinfandel, Mataro, Carignane, Alicante Buschet and Petite Sirah. Matt believes that the dirt, the micro-climate and sustainable wine growing form the cornerstone of good winemaking and these three elements are in every bottle Three Wine Company produces. Matt focuses his energies on working with the old-vine plantings in places few growers and winemakers find interesting, mainly in the sandy soils of Contra Costa County. It is because of this dedication and diligence that Matt is able to source fruit from vines that are over 100 years old!