2018 Precedent Zinfandel Mokelumne River Kirschenmann Vineyard

Community Tasting Notes (4) Avg Score: 92.4 points

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View der Schmecker's profile
  • Report Issue

  11/3/2023 - der Schmecker Likes this wine: 92 Points

  Excellent, superb Zinfandel.
  TWARD mentions a quality in the wine that he can't quite describe, but it's real, it's definitely there in the wine. I believe that intangible quality originates in Kirschenmann Vineyard, it's in the grapes originally planted in 1915, the terroir.
  Look, the owner of Kirschenmann Vineyard, Tegan Passalaqua (who is the winemaker for Turley Cellars), bought the vineyard when it came up for sale, before he bought a house for himself and his wife. Vineyards like Kirschenmann are special, extraordinary.
  This wine was made by Nathan Kandler who is also the winemaker for Thomas Fogarty Winery.
  The pedigree is top shelf. The wine is top shelf. Zinfandel as it should be crafted. One foudre and three barrels produced.

  2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View tward's profile
  • Report Issue

  6/20/2023 - tward Likes this wine: 90 Points

  Excellent. Maybe not quite as wowed by this bottle as I was the prior one, but still such an excellent Zin. Blueberry, baked blackberry, dusty, a forest / pine berry I can't put my finger on, but is very Zin, a brambly berry thing, a hint of dried, crushed sage. Great ripeness of fruit that is never heavy, seemingly framed by dried earth and brush.
  
  I will buy more. Only hesitation here is seepage ranging from ~30% - 60% up the cork on this bottle.
  
  14.6% abv

  Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (3)

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View tward's profile
  • Report Issue

  5/28/2023 - tward Likes this wine: 92 Points

  Excellent. Stellar Zin. The TN should be "this is what perfectly ripe Zin tastes like when grown in sand". Really. Great aromatics, the nose alone is worth the price. Really pretty and elegant for a Zin.
  
  14.6% abv. Hard to believe. There was no sense of heat even though this is medium-bodied with zesty red fruits, so no wall of deep fruit to cover alcohol.

  Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View S-F's profile
  • Report Issue

  8/31/2022 - S-F wrote: 96 Points

  One of the most pleasurable Zin experiences ever. Maybe it was the setting, maybe it was the magnum that got opened, maybe the food that went with it, or the company, but 3 nights ago this wine had everyone around the table playing attention at chef and restaurant owner Nick Guantone's place in Lodi. Tegans name came up and this got brought out.
  
  Winemaker Nathan Kandler is currently the winemaker at Thomas Fogarty Winery in SCM, but as I understand it, this is his little side project. He took some fruit from Tegan's vineyard for a few vintages. What can I say after 3 days? It's just world class Zin. As simple as that. The kind of Zin you'd serve to any french Grand Cru winemaker visiting California to show off how good Zin can be.

  2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)

Professional reviews have copyrights and you can view them here for your personal use only as private content. To view pro reviews you must either subscribe to a pre-integrated publication or manually enter reviews below. Learn more.