2023 Pedroncelli Winery Red Blend Sonoma Classico Dry Creek Valley 750 ml

The word “throwback” gets tossed around a lot, but rarely does it apply to a wine as well as the 2023 Pedroncelli Sonoma Classico Red Blend.

Pedroncelli is one of California’s most historic wineries. Founded in 1927, they sold grapes to home winemakers during Prohibition to stay afloat, but as a result they now can tap some of the most prized sites in Dry Creek Valley. And while they make plenty of high-dollar Zinfandels and Cabs, they retain the old-school ethos of offering a red blend with an everyday price.

Their Sonoma Classico brings together Zinfandel, Merlot, Petite Sirah, and Sangiovese for a juicy, bold table red that’s perfect for burger night or just hanging out before dinner. You used to be able to find stacks of domestic reds like this, now they’re rare as can be.

Pedroncelli has been family-owned and operated since 1927, surviving Prohibition, postwar consolidation, and the boom-and-bust cycles of modern California wine without losing sight of what they do best. Long before “heritage winery” became a branding exercise, Pedroncelli was quietly building a reputation in Dry Creek Valley as an old-school producer who owned some of the most coveted sites in the area.

Pedroncelli farms roughly 115 acres of estate vineyards throughout Dry Creek Valley, the appellation they helped define and one of Sonoma’s most celebrated winegrowing landscapes. For this blend, fruit is drawn from two core estate sites: the East Side Vineyards, where Merlot comes from gently sloping benches rising above the valley floor; and the Home Ranch Vineyard, a longtime family holding that contributes Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, and Sangiovese. 

The 2023 vintage played right into that philosophy. After abundant winter rains, cooler-than-normal temperatures delayed bud break and slowed the entire growing season through spring and summer. Rather than rushing fruit to the finish line, vines matured gradually, allowing flavors to develop fully while sugars stayed moderate.