Vinca Minor Wines?

Newbie, here. Just tried 3 wines from Vinca Minor, 15 Santa Cruz Cab, 15 Mendocino Carignan & a non vintage Zin blend also from Mendocino and wanted to see if others have tried them or other wines and thought?

I really have enjoyed these wines with the old vine carignan being my favorite as well as the first I was ever offered. This was being poured BTG at Terroir in SF and I was impressed with it. Not to mention that they’re doing pretty low production work and still at a very reasonable price point. I try to buy a bit every release.

The old vine carignan is a nice daily drinker and they just released an older red blend that has also been pretty good (but the AFWE in me still goes back to the carignan). Tomorrow a friend and I will be opening another cuvee of theirs from the 2015 release. Looking forward to it!

Looks like they’ve put up a couple new spring releases now as well! Good stuff!

I really liked all 3 wines but the ones that stood out the most for me are the 2015 Bates Ranch Cabernet and the non-vintage Zinfandel blend from Mendocino. The Cab is very old school with good acid, firm tannin and restrained alcohol and fruit. But I thought the real star of the show was the Zin blend mostly 2014 old vine, dry farmed Zin with a little 2015 Carignan and Petite Sirah both from Mendocino and farmed the same way. I went in thinking this was going to be a big bowl of black fruit and bramble soaked in alcohol but that is not what was in the glass. It was bright and lively and dam fun the drink. Good red and black fruit with nice acid, gravel road and spice, not to serious with just enough tannin to be satisfying. [cheers.gif]

2014-2015 I worked in the facility where Jason makes these wines. He’s a super nice guy who is really enthusiastic and trying to make interesting wines from fun sites.

I last saw him pouring at a Matthiasson pick up party! He’s in good company.

I have been interested in this winery, especially since I only hear rave reviews about its stuff.

The prices, however…

The prices, however…[/quote]


It seems to me to be the going rate for wines like these. Vinca Minor make tiny amounts of wine, I don’t think he has done more then 400 cases of any of his wines, most are closer to 50 to 100 cases, so there is no economy of scale. The grapes all seem to be sourced from good places, old vines, dry farmed, organic. Places like Bates Ranch, Pour Ranch and Clark Vineyard, so the grapes aren’t cheep either. Is there a lot of Bates Ranch Cabernet out there for less then $50.00?

I’ve never had their wines, but I did grow up with one of their owners - Emily O’Hara Charles. Looking forward to visiting them next time I’m out there.

Just tried two new wines from Vinca Minor a 2016 Pour Ranch Carignon Rose and a 2016 Chardonnay from Clark Vineyard in Sonoma Valley. The Rose was delightful, bright electric strawberry, salted watermelon rind, kiwi and wet gravel with a hint of dried sage. The Chardonnay is more of a work in progress, nervy and still a little tanky with crunchy fruit that makes me think it sees a bit of skin contact. I think it needs a little time to get used to being in the bottle, but I think it should settle down nicely. Time will tell.

Had a chance to try a little of their rose at a wine shop in LA last week; quite cloudy; crisp and acidic with some nice fruit and touch of herbs. Not as much body as I like to see in roses but nicely done.

Cheers

Come on out and visit! I heard you are selling wine in Chicago?

Hi Larry, thanks for the review! Did you have the Rose over at Esters in Santa Monica?

Jason,

I did - how did you know? I guess I just missed your tasting there, but both Elaine and Kathryn had wonderful things to say about the wines.

Cheers!

Thank you Larry! The Rose is 100% Carignan coming from 85 year + vines. If you have a chance to visit up in Sonoma I would be happy to open up my other wines for you. Cheers,

Hey man! Thank you for the kind words. Hope all is well with you. Visit soon!

Jason

2015 Old Vines Carignan, Redwood Valley

Black cherry, lilac and cola on the nose with dark chocolate, fresh herbs, talc, hand cream and railroad gravel. Tasted of brambly raspberry, apple skin and fruit leather with herbal tea, bay leaf and cracked black pepper. Bright acid with soft tannin way in the background.

Vary nice and ready to go.

Just had the 2015 Vinca Minor Bates Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon. Very pleasing bitterness and tertiary notes have started to show up, but still a good heap of fruit, with moderate acid and tannin.

IMO the fruit is more stewed/jammy than I like character than I like (or than I’m used to from younger Vinca wines!) but still very pleasing,

We have a carignan from each vintage of 2017 - 2021 and we’re hoping to keep them for a while and do a vertical at some point :slight_smile:

We always love the carignan, whether it’s the older style from 2017-2019 with more structure, or the newer 2020- style that is fresher and lighter.