Kenwood Jack London Vineyard Zinfandel 2018
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James
Suckling -
Wine
Enthusiast
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
This vineyard is long recognized for its prized red wines and its Zinfandel is no exception. Since our first vintage in 1987, the Jack London Zinfandel has produced flavorful wines with excellent fruit and well-rounded tannins to produce an outstanding, very distinctive Zinfandel.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Earthy aromas of bark and wild herbs with notes of dark fruit and cooking spice. Full-bodied but rather light-footed with good lift and juiciness. Firm tannins. Cocoa and espresso come through with a hint of orange peel. A rather pleasant zinfandel.
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Wine Enthusiast
Spicy, rocky and lively, this wine is burly in plum and raspberry fruit, with robust, concentrated and unabashed richness. Traces of vanilla and cola accent the finish.
Other Vintages
2014-
Tasting
Panel
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Wilfred
Wong
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Wine &
Spirits
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Wine &
Spirits -
Wine
Enthusiast
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Wine &
Spirits
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Wine
Enthusiast
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Wine
Enthusiast
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Wine
Enthusiast
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Wine
Enthusiast
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Wine &
Spirits
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Wine
Enthusiast
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Wine
Enthusiast
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Wine
Spectator
Located in the heart of the Sonoma Valley, Kenwood Vineyards is dedicated to producing premium wines truly representative of Sonoma County’s world-class vineyards.
Kenwood Vineyards was established in 1970 in the former Pagani Brothers Winery, a historic cellar dating back to 1906. Thoroughly refurbished and modernized, the facility now boasts more than 125 stainless steel fermenting tanks and large oak uprights, and 20,000 small French and American oak barrels, all devoted to Kenwood Vineyards’ “small lot” style of winemaking.
In addition to the 22-acre vineyard surrounding the winery, Kenwood Vineyards sources grapes from dozens of vineyards – many farmed sustainably, using natural soil amendments and pest controls whenever possible rather than chemicals - in Sonoma County’s best appellations, including Russian River Valley, Alexander Valley, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma Valley and Sonoma Mountain. Each lot from each vineyard is kept separate throughout the winemaking process, enabling the winemaker to bring it to its fullest potential. This “small lot” or “cuvee” style of winemaking also enables the winemaker to draw on an exceptionally broad “palette” to assemble wines that showcase classic character, subtle complexity and superb balance. As a result, every Kenwood Vineyards wine – whether Table Wine Series, Sonoma Series, Reserve, Jack London Vineyard or Artist Series – is consistent in quality and consistently delicious.
Unapologetically bold, spice-driven and jammy, Zinfandel has secured its title as the darling of California vintners by adapting well to the state's diverse microclimates and landscapes. Born in Croatia, it later made its way to southern Italy where it was named Primitivo. Fortunately, the imperial nursery of Vienna catalogued specimens of the vine, and it later made its way to New England in 1829. Parading the true American spirit, Zinfandel found a new home in California during the Gold Rush of 1849. Somm Secret—California's ancient vines of Zinfandel are those that survived the neglect of Prohibition; today these vines produce the most concentrated, ethereal and complex examples.
Defined more by altitude than geographical outline, the Sonoma Mountain appellation occupies elevations between 400 and 1,200 feet on the northern and eastern slopes of the actual Sonoma Mountain and is part of the greater Sonoma Valley appellation. The mountain reaches 2,400 feet; its hills separate the cooling winds of Petaluma Gap from the Sonoma Valley.
On a cooler western flank, Pinot noir, Chardonnay and Syrah enjoy a great deal of success. Vineyards on its warmer, eastern side, interspersed with heavily forested areas, tend to include Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel, and Syrah. Given its complexity of topography and mesoclimates, Sonoma Mountain excels with a wide range of grape varieties.