The 12 Days of Zin stops in the Redwood Valley of California today. It's there that Lolonis Winery & Vineyards have been since the early 1920's. I've looked at several Zinfandels from Mendocino during the 12 Days of Zin. By and large they've been well made, good values. So I was looking forward to seeing what Lolonis had to offer along those lines. I'll be looking at two of their Zins today.
The 2005 Lolonis Redwood Valley Zinfandel is 100% varietal. The fruit was sourced from 40 year old organically grown vines. It was aged in a combination of French and American oak. 4,000 cases of this Zin were produced and the suggested retail price is $18.
Strawberries, plum, cedar and vanilla notes come out in droves from this wines nose. The plate features fresh lively fruit flavors. Cherry is amongst the most prominent of these. Spice notes abound from the mid-palate through to the smooth, appealing finish which also features some subtle earthiness. This wine features excellent acidity and nice balance. I found it to be a good match for a dish of pasta with meat sauce.
The second offering from Lolonis is the 2005 Heritage Vineyards Tryfon Zinfandel. The fruit is sourced from dry farmed vines planted in 1920 by Patriarch Tryfon Lolonis. This wine is 100% Zinfandel and was aged in a combination of French and American oak barrels. 800 cases of this offering were produced and the suggested retail price is $28.
Aromas of dry raspberry, vanilla and cedar will the nose of this wine along with a subtle underpinning of wild strawberry. Rich red raspberry fruit along with white pepper notes are the main and most prominent features of the wines palate. It's a lush, concentrated and complex wine throughout featuring an impressive array of layers. Mocha notes emerge on the finish along with dried fruit characteristics, earth, and bramble that becomes more prominent as it has a chance to open up. The Tryfon Zinfandel has tremendous acidity and excellent balance. This is truly, a food wine in the best sense of that term. This will marry with a wide array of cuisine and not overwhelm it.
Both Zins from Lolonis proved to be fine examples of the varietal from Mendocino. They're good values in their respective price points. The Tryfon in particular overdelivers on it's $28 retail price by a very wide margin. What I like most about the 2 Lolonis Zins is their abaility to marry well with food, complementing what I was eating and never overshadowing it.
Up Next: The 12 Days of Zin Continues!
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