Made by old-school Sonoma winemaker Richard Arrowood, Amapola Creek’s Monte Rosso Zin comes from 118-year old vines, where the yield is just 3/4 ton to 1 ton per acre (which is tiny). Just 540 cases of this wine were made, a blend of 91.2% Zinfandel and 8.8% Petite Sirah.

The wine is a standout for Zin, ultra-high in alcohol (16.1%), of course, but rich with all kinds of flavors. After a nose that recalls dry earth and black pepper, cocoa-inflected blackberry and blueberry start you off on the palate, with lightly and well-balanced, spicy notes on the finish. Zin can often be mouth-coating to the point of gumminess, but even at this alcohol level, it comes across is clean and refreshing.

A- / $36 / amapolacreek.com

2009 Amapola Creek Zinfandel Monte Rosso Vineyard Vinas Antiguas

$36

9

Rating

9.0/10

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Christopher Null

Christopher Null is the founder and editor in chief of Drinkhacker. A veteran writer and journalist, he also operates Null Media, a bespoke content creation company.

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