2006 Lancel Creek Zinfandel, Russian River Valley
Planted on a beautiful rolling hillside near Occidental in 2002, Ulises Valdez took advantage of the different exposures and soil types to experiment with different clones of Pinot Noir. On the very top of the ridge there is an area of reddish soil, with southern exposure, that just cried out for Zinfandel. Ulises was prevailed upon to plant just a couple of acres of St. Peters' Church clone Zinfandel here. Two acres isn't a big risk, and in fact there are some old Zinfandel vineyards along Harrison Grade Road nearby. There's a mountain ridge to the southwest, protecting the vineyard from the brunt of the onshore wind and fog. By maintaining a low crop load with the usual warm coastal October weather, Zinfandel does very well here. Availability-The 2006 Lancel Creek Zinfandel is available directly from the winery or can be found in select restaurants and fine wine merchants in the Bay Area.
| Production Statistics: | |
| Varietal: | Zinfandel |
| Vineyard Source: | Lancel Creek |
| Harvest Date: | October 30, 2006 |
| Bottling Date: | May 5, 2008 |
| Release Date: | February 1, 2009 |
| Brix at Harvest: | 26.1 |
| Alcohol: | 15.5% |
| Cases Produced: | 400 |
| Consulting Winemaker: | Jeff Cohn |
Zinfandel Russian River Valley Lancel Creek Vineyard 2006
Wine Spectator Insider Review
93 points | $35 | 400 cases made | Red
Dense, ripe and beautifully structured, with delightfully briary cherry and blueberry aromas and powerful
yet still supple licorice, sage and cracked white pepper flavors that linger on the finish. Drink now through 2014.-T.F.
2006 Valdez Family Winery Zinfandel Lancel Creek Reserve Russian River Valley
Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine
Volume 33 Issue 7: May 2009
95 points | In all honesty, we do neither look for nor expect such high ripeness and weight from Zinfandels
grown in the Russian River Valley as are conveyed by this very deep, very outgoing, impressively extracted effort,
but, if not speaking so directly to "place" it unmistakably shouts "richness". It is simply awash in rich oak,
sweet plums and ripe blackberries and offers immense immediate appeal, but its extravagance comes with balance and
structure enough to guarantee another four or five years of wholly enjoyable drinking.