2019 Inspiration Vineyards, Rosé of Zinfandel, Little Red Vineyard, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County.
A fun Summer wine, made from Russian River Valley Zinfandel, the Inspiration dry Rosé of Zinfandel is bright and juicy with crisp layers of raspberry water, sour cherry, strawberry and watermelon fruits along with a hint of mineral, spice and tangy citrus as well as a lingering caramel note that gives a sense of roundness and body without any sweetness. This is good example of dry Zin Rosé, that can be very difficult to make with balance between ripeness and vibrant acidity, finding that point is like dancing on the top of a pin, and this one just about gets it perfect and is a refreshing and pleasing wine. I normally pass on Rosés that are made from Syrah, Merlot and or Zinfandel, as they typically don’t have the energy and profiles I go for, but this one impresses and offers a good value, it is easy to sip on and brought a sense of peace.
Jon Phillips, winemaker and owner of Inspiration Vineyards has really raised the game at this popular winery in Santa Rosa, both the wines and the packaging have really got exciting over the last few years and this latest set from the 2018 and 2019 vintages seem like a step up even further, especially with their signature Zinfandel bottlings. This pink Zin comes from a small family vineyard on the famous Olivet Road in the Russian River Valley, an area renown for Pinot Noir and old vine Zinfandel vines that sees warm days and cool Pacific Ocean influenced nights that can see the coast fog that flows up the Russian River making it perfect for growing exceptional quality grapes. The Rosé of Zinfandel, which was whole cluster pressed and saw a short period of skin contact and then raised in neutral French oak, coming in at 12.1% natural is ready to enjoy with BBQs and picnics, drink now. I highly recommend checking out some of the other wines in the Inspiration collection too, like their Russian River Pinot, Syrah, the old vine Estate Zin and the hedonistic Dry Creek Gallaway Vineyard Zinfandel.
($19 Est.) 87 Points, grapelive