TN: 2015 Ladd Cellars Zinfandel Avio Vineyard Sierra Foothills

2015 Ladd Cellars Zinfandel Avio Vineyard Sierra Foothills - USA, California, Sierra Foothills (11/4/2019)
My only bottle from a Berserker Day mixed 6 pack purchase, and I wish I had one more. This was interesting, but perhaps a little reduced. For the first 45 minutes or so I picked up a lot of rubber/tar, and it was only after 90 minutes that the wine started to really open up and show itself. When it did I liked the profile, though it was substantially lighter than any zin I have had in a long time. Red fruit, warm herbs, some of that tar from earlier (but now in balance), and eventually a meaty/savory note that I found very attractive. Expecting a bigger wine, I paired it with some aggressively flavored food, and it got a bit buried. I would love to have another bottle to sample with lighter fare. I think that might really work.

Posted from CellarTracker

Oh wow, I don’t even recall Eric releasing a Zinfandel! How’d I miss that??

I would not have known about it without the Berserker Day sample pack.

Ever since I starting making wine, Pinot, my sister has asked/bugged me to make a Zin…a Zin in the style that Dave Rafanelli made in the 90s. No pressure tho. (many years pass). Then she asked me to make a Chardonnay…which turned out well. At that point, I had no choice. Berry Crawford, an expert in Zins, an expert in many things, suggested that Foothills fruit that’s picked early (23 brix or so) would make an interesting zin along those lines. He was right.

I was/am quite happy with how this turned out, and how much I like working with early picked foothills fruit. I’ve been exploring since: Primitivo, Tempranillo, & Cab Franc, all in a lighter/balanced/nuanced style…all in a style that a Pinot Noir winemaker would make (while still preserving typicity) :slight_smile:

Thanks for the note David

All you need, Eric, is a Patty Rafanelli in your operation!!! [snort.gif]
Tom

Dave and Patty had the good cop/bad cop thing down :slight_smile:…tho Patty was always nice to me (I learned early to follow the Rafanelli Protocol!)

The Ladd zinfandel was one of my favorite wines from Falltacular 2019. My note from the time:

Ladd Cellars 2015 Zinfandel Avio Vineyard Sierra Foothills. > This was a 13.8% zin picked at 23 Brix. I love zin, and I’m not at all against riper and bigger versions of it (at least if the oak is kept moderate in them, like Turley and Carlisle), but I am also really happy to see the range of sites and styles expand, as I think zin is capable of more things than we’ve mostly seen so far. This has wild raspberry and cranberry fruit, a notion of mountain berry bushes, sage, mineral, bright acids. Really a distinctive and excellent wine, promising more with age.

I need to get some of this if it’s still available. I think I dropped the ball on following up with Eric after Falltacular.

Haven’t had the chance to try the Zin yet, but can help with the Primitivo–from FallTacular 18

"2015 Ladd Musick Primitivo

Neat aromatics of coffee, sour cherry and a touch of barnyard—kinda reminds me of a pinotage, funny enough. Narrow, lean and focused right now with lots of acid and length. Give time, a very different wine to try."

I do have the 15 Avio Zin…and the 15 Musick Primitivo. PM or email me if you’re interested and we’ll work it out.

And thanks for the comments Chris & Mike!

This Primitivo is my favorite red wine Eric has made. Needs some air after opening but its an extremely aromatic, pretty wine once it fleshes out a bit. It actually reminds me of the wines Drouhin makes strangely enough.

I am also a fan of the Zin in David’s note but I am going to age my remaining bottles for a long time before opening. Its a claret-style Zin and I have high hopes it will develop some serious complexity. Its good now with enough air but I think will transform interestingly with time. It kind of reminds me over older style Ridge Zins but without the American Oak and those can age wonderfully.

David, if you like that style, check out Broc Cellars if you haven’t already.

Another wine somewhat in that style was the zins which Cabot made in Humboldt. It looks like 2011 and 2013 were the last vintages of those, but John might still have some in stock.

Actually, we are going to release 3 new Zins from the 2016 vintage for Berserkerday!

Fantastic. Are they from the same sources as your previous zins?