From dry-farmed, century-old vines, this wine is richly ripe in plum and black cherry, with a hot and heavy presence tempered by a lift of acidity. Dusty tannin and tobacco ride out the finish.
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Riebli Valley Vineyard Zinfandel Reviews
Score: 90 | October 1, 2020 | Wine Enthusiast
Score: 91 | June 29, 2018 | Wine Advocate
Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2015 Zinfandel Riebli Vineyard gives up fragrant scents of raisin cake, stewed plums and dried roses with touches of hoisin, tobacco and dusty earth. Rich, full-bodied and spicy in the mouth, it has a solid line of freshness matching the chewy tannins that feature on the finish.
Score: 92 | March 4, 2016 | Wine Advocate
The 2013 Zinfandel Riebli Valley Vineyard looks more like Petite Sirah than one normally associates with Zinfandel. This is from apparently over 100-year-old head-pruned vines and low yields. The color is an inky ruby/purple, the wine rich, full-bodied, powerful and just classic Zinfandel. This is a stunner and a wine capable of offering gorgeous drinking for at least another 7-8 years.
Score: Gold | February 9, 2015 | American Fine Wine Competition
Score: 93 | January 13, 2015 | Wine Advocate
A superb, limited production Zinfandel, this full-bodied wine has black raspberry kirsch, peppery, meaty aromas as well as flavors, full body, and a long, spicy, “big” finish. Drink it over the next 3-5 years.
Score: 90 | February 1, 2015 | Wine & Spirits Magazine
The zin at Riebli Vineyard was planted in the late 19th century on the western slope of the Mayacamas Range. The fruit’s old-vine concentration feels Porty and hyperripe at first. But there’s a firmness to the tannins that becomes more interesting with air, a black spice character that brings to mind the mineral spark of a good Vintage Port more than anything jammy. Servie it as a vino da meditazione with strong cheeses.
Score: 87 | April 1, 2014 | Wine Enthusiast
The grapes are from an old vineyard on the warmer eastern side of Russian River Valley, in the Mayacamas foothills. The wine is exceptionally ripe, with blackberries veering into prunes and raisins. The tannins are wonderfully smooth and complex. Drink it now with barbecue.
Score: Gold | February 6, 2014 | American Fine Wine Competition
Score: 88 | June 1, 2012 | Wine Enthusiast
Even by De Loach’s standards of enormously ripe Zinfandels, this one stands out. It’s a hydrogen bomb of a wine, fantastically rich in berries and fruits that have a slightly dried quality to them. The tannins are thick, and the alcohol seems higher and hotter than the stated 14.5% by volume. — S.H. (6/1/2012)