2021 Craftwork Estate Vineyards Old Vine Zinfandel, Monterey County
Tasting Notes
Aromas of plum and black currant frame ripe, juicy flavors of black cherry and strawberry jam. Well-integrated tannins and enfold into a rich, layered finish. The firm structure makes our zinfandel a terrific pairing with tri-tip steak, sausage, pizza, and pasta.
Winemaking
Upon arrival at the winery, the grapes are destemmed, crushed, and fermented in small lots in open-top fermenters. The firm cap of skin is gently punched down several times a day. Punching down is a traditional method that gives the skins as much contact with the fermenting wine as possible, ensuring that maximum color and phenols from the skins are transferred to the wine. After a 10-day fermentation in stainless tanks, the wine is aged with a combination of Hungarian and American oak to round out and soften the rich, black fruit flavors.
Vineyards
The Zinfandel grapes are sourced from our estate San Lucas and Hames Valley vineyards. Hames is located at the southern edge of Monterey County and has a climate characterized by a high day-to-night temperature differential. The majority of this blend came from San Lucas, about 20 miles north of Hames Valley, and is characterized by its beautiful rolling topography, sunshine-filled days, and cool nights.
Our wines are handcrafted from estate-grown grapes from our vineyards in Monterey County, located in California’s golden Central Coast. This growing region is a wonder, with a myriad of soils, elevations, and microclimates that allow us to grow an array of varieties. Through vigilant attention to these influences, we strive to showcase the natural expression of the vineyard, variety, and vintage in every bottle. In a world of flashy technology, some might call this helplessly old-fashioned. We call it Craftwork.
@chipgreen Haven’t played my (only) Kraftwerk album in years - but Autobahn was a favorite from my high school days, back when it was released <sigh>. The link is to the official ‘single’ version video; but I am listening to the 22 minute album version now…
The wine arrived on a 1 degree Fahrenheit day and even my non complaining UPS driver admitted it was bitterly cold. I dont know if the weather will impact the wine negatively.
I am not a zinfandel fan and I do not drink much of it. However- it was good!
Opening the wine (now at room temperature ) there was a fruit (think smelling a box of strawberry jello in its powder form) faint licorice and an earthy dried fruit scent.
The first sip from the newly opened bottle had an acidic high alcohol taste without the burn.
I poured a full glass and let it sit for an hour before pairing it with ham and split pea soup and a grilled cheese and caramelized onion sandwich. The alcohol burn had dissipated and there was more of the earthiness /licorice than the fruit present after sitting.
The wine has a pretty garnet color and is medium bodied but lacks depth - is there such a thing as a “thin” wine?
I wish I didn’t have an empty fridge (leaving for warmer weather) as I would have liked to try this with pasta and red sauce or a heartier meal.
Going back to “I am not a zinfandel fan” I think this wine would satisfy many individuals after opening up and served with a meal. The alcohol content is 14.5 percent.
Finally- there was a range in price ($11-$22) when I used the Googler but I did not check the specific year.
Thanks Alice for sending this my way.
Happy Valentines Day everyone.
2021 Craftwork Old Vines Zinfandel Monterey County
The bottle arrived three days before the launch so I had time to let the bottle sit overnight. Thank you Alice! I believe another Craftwork was sold earlier in 2024, otherwise I am not familiar with the winery.
Medium red cherry color on the PnP and translucent when held up to the light. Legs on the swirl. some alcohol and red cherry and plum on the first whiff. I sampled this wine on its own with no food, not even cheese.
The composite cork was stained light purple and pulled fairly easily although it didn’t seem so dense and it felt like it could have snapped apart if I wasn’t careful on the pull.
First taste matched the aroma, a hint of red cherry and red plum with alcohol undertones. A few minutes later upon another sip, it was a bit acidic and astringent on the palate, nothing on the tongue with a short tannic finish. I’m not that experienced with zinfandel, but this seems to not be typical of the ones I have drunk. No wood/oak on the finish, this may have not seen any casking?
The next glass after 2-3 hours was drunk without decanting. It was a little rounder and softer, and exhibited more red fruit now. No black pepper or wood perceived. No real jammy notes, nor is this a fruitbomb. This was a little bit flabby on top of the palate despite the astringency. I would have chilled this a bit if there was something there that needed a little reining in, but I did not feel the need. This is not your typical Zinfandel! light to mid-weight, a little brighter than anticipated. Despite the fruit presence, I would say that this was a drier red. The finish lengthened a bit with no discernable oak, black pepper, or tannin. A little bit of wood(cedar?) emerged and the acidic finish lingered longer.
Day 2: After being left recorked on the counter, the whiff of alcohol was still there, but the fruit wasn’t as strong as the PnP. The astringency mellowed and tannin detectable on the upper palate. The fruit was still evident but the red fruit no longer discernible , and a little purple plum now emerges. Again the finish was fleeting except for lingering astringency and a hint of oak. There wasn’t any sediment so I do believe this wasn’t filtered and fined.
If under $15, or even better under $10, I would recommend this as a daily mid-week guzzler with perhaps lighter than typical paired Zinny foods. It would be fine with informal spring day time/Early evening get-togethers/BBQ’s. I wouldn’t consider this a winter Zin.
Much thanks to Alice and David providing me this opportunity to sample another different varietal for me! Cheers!
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
2021 Craftwork Estate Vineyards Old Vine Zinfandel - $25 = 20.83%
@ferruciob Could be. No idea about this wine, I don’t see any details available. At under $9 delivered, this may be an alternative to supermarket pounders for some folks.
@ferruciob I am more familiar with under extraction in coffee…and since you asked I would say that there is a good chance that the “thin” I was describing is under extraction. I gave the rest of my bottle to a friend since I was traveling and she reports it is “light and tasty” and she enjoyed it.
2021 Craftwork Estate Vineyards Old Vine Zinfandel, Monterey County
Tasting Notes
Winemaking
Vineyards
Specs
What’s Included
6-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
Not for sale on winery website, $300/case MSRP
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Mar 10 - Wednesday, Mar 12
2021 Craftwork Estate Vineyards Old Vine Zinfandel
6 bottles for $59.99 $10/bottle + $1.33/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $94.99 $7.92/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
/giphy Kraftwerk
@chipgreen Haven’t played my (only) Kraftwerk album in years - but Autobahn was a favorite from my high school days, back when it was released <sigh>. The link is to the official ‘single’ version video; but I am listening to the 22 minute album version now…
2021 Craftwork Old Vine Zinfandel
The wine arrived on a 1 degree Fahrenheit day and even my non complaining UPS driver admitted it was bitterly cold. I dont know if the weather will impact the wine negatively.
I am not a zinfandel fan and I do not drink much of it. However- it was good!
Opening the wine (now at room temperature ) there was a fruit (think smelling a box of strawberry jello in its powder form) faint licorice and an earthy dried fruit scent.
The first sip from the newly opened bottle had an acidic high alcohol taste without the burn.
I poured a full glass and let it sit for an hour before pairing it with ham and split pea soup and a grilled cheese and caramelized onion sandwich. The alcohol burn had dissipated and there was more of the earthiness /licorice than the fruit present after sitting.
The wine has a pretty garnet color and is medium bodied but lacks depth - is there such a thing as a “thin” wine?
I wish I didn’t have an empty fridge (leaving for warmer weather) as I would have liked to try this with pasta and red sauce or a heartier meal.
Going back to “I am not a zinfandel fan” I think this wine would satisfy many individuals after opening up and served with a meal. The alcohol content is 14.5 percent.
Finally- there was a range in price ($11-$22) when I used the Googler but I did not check the specific year.
Thanks Alice for sending this my way.
Happy Valentines Day everyone.
2021 Craftwork Old Vines Zinfandel Monterey County
The bottle arrived three days before the launch so I had time to let the bottle sit overnight. Thank you Alice! I believe another Craftwork was sold earlier in 2024, otherwise I am not familiar with the winery.
Medium red cherry color on the PnP and translucent when held up to the light. Legs on the swirl. some alcohol and red cherry and plum on the first whiff. I sampled this wine on its own with no food, not even cheese.
The composite cork was stained light purple and pulled fairly easily although it didn’t seem so dense and it felt like it could have snapped apart if I wasn’t careful on the pull.
First taste matched the aroma, a hint of red cherry and red plum with alcohol undertones. A few minutes later upon another sip, it was a bit acidic and astringent on the palate, nothing on the tongue with a short tannic finish. I’m not that experienced with zinfandel, but this seems to not be typical of the ones I have drunk. No wood/oak on the finish, this may have not seen any casking?
The next glass after 2-3 hours was drunk without decanting. It was a little rounder and softer, and exhibited more red fruit now. No black pepper or wood perceived. No real jammy notes, nor is this a fruitbomb. This was a little bit flabby on top of the palate despite the astringency. I would have chilled this a bit if there was something there that needed a little reining in, but I did not feel the need. This is not your typical Zinfandel! light to mid-weight, a little brighter than anticipated. Despite the fruit presence, I would say that this was a drier red. The finish lengthened a bit with no discernable oak, black pepper, or tannin. A little bit of wood(cedar?) emerged and the acidic finish lingered longer.
Day 2: After being left recorked on the counter, the whiff of alcohol was still there, but the fruit wasn’t as strong as the PnP. The astringency mellowed and tannin detectable on the upper palate. The fruit was still evident but the red fruit no longer discernible , and a little purple plum now emerges. Again the finish was fleeting except for lingering astringency and a hint of oak. There wasn’t any sediment so I do believe this wasn’t filtered and fined.
If under $15, or even better under $10, I would recommend this as a daily mid-week guzzler with perhaps lighter than typical paired Zinny foods. It would be fine with informal spring day time/Early evening get-togethers/BBQ’s. I wouldn’t consider this a winter Zin.
Much thanks to Alice and David providing me this opportunity to sample another different varietal for me! Cheers!
@irenegade I’m having difficulty putting the below comment into context
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
2021 Craftwork Estate Vineyards Old Vine Zinfandel - $25 = 20.83%
A Scheid label, although that is noted above, so that would be a totally worthless comment… as per usual
Would either of labrats sayit is under extracted? Zins usually have body especially old vine
@ferruciob Could be. No idea about this wine, I don’t see any details available. At under $9 delivered, this may be an alternative to supermarket pounders for some folks.
@ferruciob I am more familiar with under extraction in coffee…and since you asked I would say that there is a good chance that the “thin” I was describing is under extraction. I gave the rest of my bottle to a friend since I was traveling and she reports it is “light and tasty” and she enjoyed it.