2012 Bedrock Zinfandel Monte Rosso Vineyard

The 2012 Zinfandel Monte Rosso is fabulous. Dark red and purplish fruit, violets, rose petals, spices and licorice all jump from the glass in a rich, full-bodied Zinfandel endowed with stunning depth and richness. All of the elements are in balance in a wine that captures the essence of this great site. Graphite, iron, smoke and mineral notes provide the backbone for the exuberant fruit. What a fabulous wine this is. Readers will not want to miss the 2012 Monte Rosso Zinfandel.

Even older vines have produced the 2012 Zinfandel Monte Rosso. This large, relatively high elevation (900 feet) vineyard was planted in 1886. Aged in 35% new French oak, this cuvee is another big, muscular Zinfandel at 15.2% alcohol. Ripe kirsch, black currant, underbrush, pepper, loamy soil and a hint of briery mountain fruit emerge from this deep, full-bodied, rich Zinfandel. It should drink well for a decade. Morgan Twain Peterson, the son of Ravenswood's Joel Peterson, has hit the wine scene with a bang, producing vibrant, personality-filled, delicious wines from extremely old vines and, in some cases, virtually unknown grapes, such as Aubun, Teredalgo, Trousseau Noir, Le Noir, Mission, Trousseau Gris, Grand Noir and Abouriou, as well as Zinfandel, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Grenache, Carignan, Alicante Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Tempranillo. Many of these sites are heritage terroirs from the ancient past which, until Peterson's arrival, were largely ignored or were co-mingled into some innocuous industrial blend. Bedrock's portfolio is filled with exciting wines. The 2012s reviewed herein will all be bottled and released by Fall, 2014. Tel. (707) 343-1478