Mission Codename Jammin'
“We’re jammin’, jammin’, And I hope you like jammin’, too”
Yessir, the vibe is always on point when we find a sultry Zin to share with you.
And this time, we scored a 91 POINT, single vineyard, old vine at a screaming good price. Another fantastic value from Steele is about to rock your world.
Some of us have been in this business long enough to remember how HOT Steele wines were in the 1990s when they hit the scene. A little digging reveals such praise from Robert Parker, “Formerly the winemaker at Kendall-Jackson, Jed Steele is to be highly commended for his debut releases… If Mr. Steele is able to follow up on quality such as this in California’s better vintages, he will quickly establish himself as one of the superstars of his profession. His wines possess great fruit, excellent to outstanding richness, and superb purity and focus. None of his wines are excessively woody.”
Pacini Vineyard. Who else claims fruit from here? Oh, just nobodies like Hall, Bedrock, Souverain, and Lava Vine. And Steele, obv. Dry farmed, mountain-grown, old vine Zin. Actually, it’s 90% Zinfandel, and the remaining 10% comes from a field blend of Carignan, Alicante Bouschet, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, and Cinsault. That’s the formula here and the end result is a powerful JAMMY fruit fest! Sweet oak, black cherry, warm plums, blackberry, and a dusting of pepper and drizzle of licorice. Medium to full-bodied, it’s pleasingly plump and oh-so-drinkable as these cold months approach.
Jed Steele is a beacon in Lake County, as the San Francisco Chronicle pointed out recently, “Steele Wines was founded in 1991 and gradually became the most famous Lake County wine brand. By then, Jed Steele was already an established winemaker, having begun his career at Stony Hill Vineyard in Napa Valley in 1968 and later becoming the head winemaker at Kendall-Jackson…” as Parker points out above. With that kind of a resume, the wines speak for themselves.
Go ahead and steal this Steele, grab what you can - we ALL NEED lots of yummy Zin to wrap this year up!
91 Points – Wine Enthusiast
“This is a firmly structured and moderately tannic wine intended for rich grilled or roasted foods. Attractive salt and pepper aromas lead to tempting blackberry and strawberry flavors and a full body.”
Tasting Profile
Black cherry, plums, blackberry, pepper, licorice, oak
Look | Deep purple with a ruby red glow on a slim rim |
---|---|
Smell | Sweet oak, black cherry, warm plums, blackberry, a dusting of pepper |
Taste | Medium to full-bodied, it’s pleasingly plump with a drizzle of licorice |
Finish | Pleasingly plump and oh-so-drinkable JAMMY fruit fest! |
Pairing | Smoked baby back ribs drenched in tangy BBQ sauce |
What the Winery Says
2017 Pacini Vineyard Mendocino County Zinfandel
- Winemaker
- Jed Steele
- Varietal
- 90% Zinfandel, 10% Carignan, Alicante Bouschet, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, Cinsault
- Vintage
- 2017
- Vineyard
- Pacini Vineyard
- Appellation
- Mendocino County
- Alcohol
- 15.2%
- Vine age
- 75 years average
- Total acidity
- 6.5 g/L
- pH
- 3.77
- Residual sugar
- 0.02 g/L
- Yields
- 2-3 tons/acre
- Aging
- 12 months
- Barrels
- 30% new American oak