2010 Epoch Zinfandel Paderewski Vineyard

The 2010 Zinfandel flows from the glass with layers of intensely perfumed dark fruit, mint, flowers, licorice and spices. Zinfandel seems to do very well in this site. The 2010 is 83% Zinfandel co-fermented with 14% Syrah and 3% Tempranillo, an approach that works beautifully here. This is a wine with tons of personality.

The 2010 Zinfandel flows from the glass with layers of intensely perfumed dark fruit, mint, flowers, anise and spices. Zinfandel seems to do very well in this site. The 2010 is 83% Zinfandel co-fermented with 14% Syrah and 3% Tempranillo, an approach that works beautifully here. This is a wine with tons of personality. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2016. Epoch is one of the up and coming estates in Paso Robles. I tasted every wine made at Epoch since inception over the several hours I spent at the winery in June. Winemaker Jordan Fiorentini is trying to give each of the Epoch wines a clearer identity, something that has been missing in previous vintages, but that isn’t all that surprising given the very young age of the estate’s vineyards. With each passing year the wines are stronger. It seems quite obvious the best is yet to come. I tasted the 2010 Estate White, Veracity, Sensibility, Zinfandel and Estate Blend from bottle, and the rest of the 2010 reds in their final blends, from barrel. All of these wines are made from Epoch’s Paderweski Vineyard, which also supplies fruit to a small number of other artisan producers. Tel (805) 237-2011

Also one of the top Zinfandel’s out there, the 2010 Epoch Estate Wines Zinfandel Paderewski Vineyard is a classic Zinfandel that stays classy and, dare I say, elegant. Possessing a deep purple color, it delivers knockout aromas and flavors of blackberry pie, mincemeat, spice, flowers, and hints of pepper on the nose. This flows to a full-bodied, concentrated Zin that has no hard edges, superb freshness, and a well-focused, structured finish. A single block blend of 83% Zinfandel, 14% Syrah, and 3% Tempranillo that was aged in 30% new French oak, it is beautiful stuff that will drink well for upwards of a decade, although I see no reason to delay gratification!