Joel Gott Zinfandel (75cl, 14.4%)

Joel Gott Zinfandel is a California red wine blending fruit from six AVAs, bottled at 14.4% ABV in a 750ml bottle. The 2022 vintage earned Double Gold at the Sakura Awards. The blend is 97% Zinfandel and 3% Petite Sirah, from vineyards including Monterey, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Mokelumne River AVA, Contra Costa and Dry Creek Valley. Much of the fruit comes from decades-old, head-trained vines. Each set is fermented separately, then aged for 12 months in 20% new American oak and 80% two-year-old French oak. The nose shows bramble-berries, red currants, maple sugar, vanilla, mild wood smoke and black pepper. The palate has raspberry, blackberry and blueberry, velvety tannins, oak-tinged berry and spice, with balanced acidity. The finish is long and spice-driven, with cracked pepper, warm vanilla and smoothly resolving tannins.