2017 Seghesio Family Vineyards Old Vine Zinfandel Sonoma County 750 ml

Unless you have plans to visit the historic Seghesio winery in Healdsburg, you'll have a tough time finding this impeccable-pedigree, ancient-vine Zinfandel. 

But with visitation down, we’re able to offer this incredible Zin for even less than the winery itself (before they sold out). In addition to being one of the only retailers in the country with an allocation right now, we’ve got this iconic, best-in-class Old Vine Zinfandel from the family that practically invented the category. Like Zin masters Matt Cline and Bill Knuttel, Seghesio excels at coaxing Zinfandels of power, longevity, and elegance from heritage vines, burnishing its reputation as one of California’s most storied houses.

Ever since Edoardo Seghesio planted his first Zinfandel vineyard in the Alexander Valley in 1895, the Seghesios have established themselves “among the great Italian heritage families in Northern California,” according to Robert Parker. The family weathered Prohibition, the Great Depression, and even a 1996 blaze that scorched the winery, in order to become “California's elite Zinfandel specialists,” in the words of Wine Spectator.

Five generations and 126 years later, this 2017 Old Vine Zinfandel relies on that very heritage for its inimitable complexity. From thick and gnarled vines planted on the Dry Creek bench and the cooler southwest Alexander Valley, the wine’s ancient grape clonal material dates back to the turn of the century.

That detail is key to understanding why Seghesio’s old-vine bottlings are held up as the international paragon for the heights great Zinfandel can achieve: The older the vines, the thicker the trunks, resulting in root systems that, over time, produce fewer and smaller grapes. Vastly more intense than larger grapes from younger vines, these tiny berries better highlight Zinfandel's briary spice character and enable it to evolve gracefully in the cellar.

The result is a muscular yet seductive Zin boasting a heady mélange of black cherry, black raspberry, and cinnamon stick on the nose, neatly rounded with smoked plum and cracked pepper. The power of 70-year-old vines shines on the palate, spilling forth rich spices and opulent brambly fruit, easing into a long finish.

The 2017 will continue evolving and improving over the next decade—but as a steady Wine Access member-favorite, this standout Zinfandel will barely touch down on our warehouse floors before every bottle is claimed.