2014 Azzaro Vineyards Zinfandel Sonoma Valley 750 ml

Small Town Price, Big Time Flavor

The 2014 Azzaro Zinfandel Limited Reserve is the kind of Zin that our Wine Access members go nuts for—at any price. But at just $14.99 on a case or more—more than 66% off SRP—this is a case-buy that should have every last Zinfandel drinker on our list shoving cases aside to make room in the cellar.

So what’s the story with this supple and chewy Zinfandel? It’s simple. The Azzaro family, along with winemaker Mark Marvier, set out on a single-minded mission to make the best Zinfandel possible from their tiny Italianate outpost on Castle Road, just outside of the town of Sonoma. It was a passion project, and by any measure, their 2014 Zin—an opaque and plush gem showing tons of blue and black fruit, spice box, and cedar—was a massive success. But they soon discovered that making excellent wine, and selling every case of said excellent wine, are two very different propositions. With just a handful of restaurant placements and little online presence, the tiny, decade-old Azzaro operation didn’t quite have the industry footing to move their entire production.

Enter Wine Access. A mutual friend told us about Azzaro, so we headed an hour west on Highway 12 to taste with Mark Marvier on the sun-drenched patio of the five-acre Azzaro property. It’s easy to see why the family claimed this former farmstead just outside of the town of Sonoma: With its ½ acre of grapes, swaying Italian cypress, lavender, and rose bushes, it recalls the Tuscan countryside as much as it does California wine country. We tasted through the lineup with Mark while soaking up the atmosphere. Then we performed our due diligence by leaving the gorgeous property with an open bottle of the 2014 Limited Reserve Zinfandel, and re-tasting it in the less-picturesque confines of Wine Access HQ. As soon as we put our glasses down, we called Mark and committed to the entire production.
This Zin absolutely bursts with ripe California fruit, spice, and cedar, and now, softened by a few years in bottle, it’s super-plush and begging to be drunk. This is a robust, tiny-production Sonoma County Zin from one of the top vintages for North Coast Zin in decades—one that would have left us impressed at full SRP. But at today’s price, a stunning $14.99 per bottle on a case or more, we’re thrilled to share this with you. You’ll be thrilled to share it, too.