Quivira Dry Creek Zinfandel, 2002 vintage
price: $15-$18
suggested food pairings: grilled red meats, stews, sharp cheeses

The owners of Quivira are historians who chose the name of a mythical Northern California city of gold, a legend that dates back to the 1500s. The Dry Creek Valley produces excellent Zinfandels and Sauvignon Blancs, and I recently sampled one of each from Quivira. They make 12 different wines in small, hand-crafted batches, six of which are Zinfandels. It was difficult to decide which one to feature in this space, but with the cool nights reminding me of fall lately, I opted for the Zin.

This wine is a blend of 90 percent Zinfandel and 10 percent Petit Syrah. The grapes came from five corners of the Dry Creek Valley, mostly from ranches where Quivira makes vineyard-designated Zins that they bottle individually and sell for more $30 per bottle. What we’re getting here is a palette of flavors from the valley at half the price. This wine is usually priced at a few shekels above our $15 ceiling, but gets discounted enough occasionally to fit our price requirements.

This is a sophisticated Zin. The grapes were tanked in their whole-berry state, rather than being crushed. This type of fermentation is slower and time-costly, but produces more flavorful wines. The bramble fruits we all seek in a Zinfandel are there to relish—blackberries, and raspberries abound in a bright showing on both the nose and the tongue. The deep red color and a spicy aspect of the nose indicate more than a berry smoothie is going on in the glass. The fruit has the lead role, but a strong supporting cast of approachable tannins and a stout but yielding acid make for a wine that is leaner and more complex than your average California Zinfandel fruit bomb. The use of new and conditioned French oak plays a big part in this complexity. This is a Zinfandel that a Cabernet lover would enjoy.

Craig Pierce, clubhouse manager of Baker Hill Golf Club, can be reached at craig_l_pierce *at* hotmail *dot* com.