2016 Handley Cellars Zinfandel, Mendocino Ridge, Redwood Valley
Tasting Notes
The first vineyards planted in the Anderson Valley region were planted by Italian immigrants bringing along with them traditions from their homeland. Zinfandel, Primitivo, Petite Sirah, Alicante, and Carignane were planted in field blends hoping that at least one would be successful to always have a supply of wine for the table. These vineyards survived prohibition by making sacramental wine and providing retreats for city folk. Many of these pioneer vineyards still exist in the Mendocino Ridge appellation. Warm days and cold nights allow these varietals to survive at an elevation that would not ripen in the valley. These wines have incredibly high tone fruity character with a noticeable acid backbone. This blend has small amounts of Petite Sirah (12.5%) and Syrah (6.25%) to add some complexity and fleshiness.
Aromas of brambly berries, toasty caramel, hints of chestnut and saddle leather. Warm and inviting on the palate with dark boysenberry, black plum, tar, sage, and anise. Full on the palate with cleansing acidity to focus the long finish.
Specs
Varietal Blend: 81.25% Zinfandel, 12.5% Petite Sirah, 6.25% Syrah
Alcohol: 14.9%
Titratable Acidity: 6.2 g/L
pH: 3.66
Production: 362 Cases
2017 Handley Cellars Petite Sirah, Redwood Valley
Tasting Notes
Planted on well drained alluvial soils these old vines produce wine that is dark purplish in color with intense dark fruit character. This wine has aromas of black and blueberries, graphite, and lavender. It is full-bodied and concentrated with black fruit, meaty and milk chocolate flavors. Full tannins with creamy sweet oak undertones that linger on the palate focused by balanced acidity.
Specs
Barrel Regime: Aged for 18 months in oak barrels (20% new). Notable structured tannins on a long toasty finish.
Alcohol: 13.9%
Titratable Acidity: 5.7g/l
pH: 3.93
Production: 523 Cases
What’s Included
4-bottles:
2x 2016 Handley Cellars Zinfandel, Mendocino Ridge, Redwood Valley
2x 2017 Handley Cellars Petite Sirah, Redwood Valley
Case:
6x 2016 Handley Cellars Zinfandel, Mendocino Ridge, Redwood Valley
6x 2017 Handley Cellars Petite Sirah, Redwood Valley
Handley Cellars is a small, family-owned winery in California’s Mendocino County. Bonded in 1982, we produce around 9000 cases of wine a year. Our quality starts with our CCOF Certified Organic Estate Vineyards in Anderson Valley. We are located at the northwest end of the Anderson Valley on 59 acres of the original Guntly Ranch. Still standing on the property are the now-refurbished ranch house, plus the barn and water tower, all of which were constructed in the early 20th century.
Founding Winemaker Milla Handley sought to make balanced wines that possess distinctive varietal characteristics and reflect the soil and climate in which they were grown. Our current winemaker, Randy Schock, carries on this tradition, crafting elegant, fruit-driven wines which complement a wide variety of cuisines. Milla’s daughter Lulu now runs Handley Cellars, with the help of her husband Scott Handley and their baby son Golden.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, OH, OR, PA, SC, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WI, WY
Handley Cellars Zinfandel & Petite Sirah
4 bottles for $69.99 $17.50/bottle + $2/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $149.99 $12.50/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations).
Handley Cellars Zinfandel & Petite Sirah - $60 = 28.56%
Hi all, busy time of year but had the pleasure of sharing both wines with family over the weekend. Two of my favorite varietals! Generally everyone thought they were easy drinking, fruity, not high in alcohol and went well with food.
I enjoyed the Zinfandel maybe more than the PS. It was darker and heavier than expected (makes sense now that I see the added PS and Syrah). Sometimes Zins can lean more towards a Pinot Noir this goes the other direction towards a Cabernet. Lots of cherry, berry, pepper, not hot, went well with our alfredo pasta and chicken cutlets. Happy to say it was still great the next day and maybe even a little better.
The Petite Sirah was also good. Similar to the Zin but a little bigger and bolder although not quite as big as they can sometimes be. Nice fruit, leather, medium tannins. Could use a little more time but ready to go with some air. It wasn’t as interesting as the Zin but still well made and good with food.
These are solid, easy drinking and a nice introduction to Zin and PS at a great price, the case price is phenomenal!
We had the pleasure of labratting the Petite Sirah. I’m typing on a phone without my computer so these notes may be a wee bit shorter than normal, but the bottom line is that it’s an excellent bottle of wine, especially at this price point.
Color is inky black like my benighted soul. There’s no question about what varietal you’re drinking here! I agree with the other rat’s characterization of the taste, I got leather right away and found the tannins just right, not too heavy, not too soft. Mrs Z got tobacco with a little vanilla. There’s a lingering warmth at the back of the palate that’s hard to place but very pleasant.
I loved the wine; Player 2 liked it fine but wasn’t as thrilled as I. we also had the in-laws with us. Their tastes tend toward the mass market but they know what they like. (Let’s call them “InZinerator People” to put it in casemates terms.) Player 3 is a PS drinker and liked this very much. Player 4 normally prefers sweet and fruity but she didn’t mind this one at all which surprised me a little.
The wine went well with a rich and spicy squash soup. Unsurprisingly for PS, it enhanced the big bold flavored item. It was not as good a pairing with our more subtle appetizer, a truffle cream we’d recently brought back from Italy. In other words, maybe drink this with steak, not sushi, knowhuddahmean?
This will likely be a pretty safe crowd pleaser, which you can’t always say for PS. I agree with the other rat that it’s a good way to dip toes into the grape. The low ABV also helps and honestly it’s a real pleasure here.
We correctly guessed this would retail somewhere in the mid 20’s. At the case price, and assuming the Zin is more or less comparable to this bottle in quality, I’d call this a very attractive offer indeed.
2016 Handley Cellars Zinfandel, Mendocino Ridge, Redwood Valley
Tasting Notes
Specs
2017 Handley Cellars Petite Sirah, Redwood Valley
Tasting Notes
Specs
What’s Included
4-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
$302.40/Case for 6x 2016 Handley Cellars Zinfandel, Mendocino Ridge, Redwood Valley + 6x 2017 Handley Cellars Petite Sirah, Redwood Valley at Handley Cellars
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, OH, OR, PA, SC, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Jan 9 - Tuesday, Jan 10
Handley Cellars Zinfandel & Petite Sirah
4 bottles for $69.99 $17.50/bottle + $2/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $149.99 $12.50/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2016 Handley Cellars Zinfandel, Mendocino Ridge
2017 Handley Cellars Petite Sirah, Redwood Valley
Zin was a casemates offer in February: discussion here
Auto buy, in for two
/giphy rejoicing-kind-sleigh
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations).
Handley Cellars Zinfandel & Petite Sirah - $60 = 28.56%
Hi all, busy time of year but had the pleasure of sharing both wines with family over the weekend. Two of my favorite varietals! Generally everyone thought they were easy drinking, fruity, not high in alcohol and went well with food.
I enjoyed the Zinfandel maybe more than the PS. It was darker and heavier than expected (makes sense now that I see the added PS and Syrah). Sometimes Zins can lean more towards a Pinot Noir this goes the other direction towards a Cabernet. Lots of cherry, berry, pepper, not hot, went well with our alfredo pasta and chicken cutlets. Happy to say it was still great the next day and maybe even a little better.
The Petite Sirah was also good. Similar to the Zin but a little bigger and bolder although not quite as big as they can sometimes be. Nice fruit, leather, medium tannins. Could use a little more time but ready to go with some air. It wasn’t as interesting as the Zin but still well made and good with food.
These are solid, easy drinking and a nice introduction to Zin and PS at a great price, the case price is phenomenal!
2017 Handley Cellars Petite Sirah
We had the pleasure of labratting the Petite Sirah. I’m typing on a phone without my computer so these notes may be a wee bit shorter than normal, but the bottom line is that it’s an excellent bottle of wine, especially at this price point.
Color is inky black like my benighted soul. There’s no question about what varietal you’re drinking here! I agree with the other rat’s characterization of the taste, I got leather right away and found the tannins just right, not too heavy, not too soft. Mrs Z got tobacco with a little vanilla. There’s a lingering warmth at the back of the palate that’s hard to place but very pleasant.
I loved the wine; Player 2 liked it fine but wasn’t as thrilled as I. we also had the in-laws with us. Their tastes tend toward the mass market but they know what they like. (Let’s call them “InZinerator People” to put it in casemates terms.) Player 3 is a PS drinker and liked this very much. Player 4 normally prefers sweet and fruity but she didn’t mind this one at all which surprised me a little.
The wine went well with a rich and spicy squash soup. Unsurprisingly for PS, it enhanced the big bold flavored item. It was not as good a pairing with our more subtle appetizer, a truffle cream we’d recently brought back from Italy. In other words, maybe drink this with steak, not sushi, knowhuddahmean?
This will likely be a pretty safe crowd pleaser, which you can’t always say for PS. I agree with the other rat that it’s a good way to dip toes into the grape. The low ABV also helps and honestly it’s a real pleasure here.
We correctly guessed this would retail somewhere in the mid 20’s. At the case price, and assuming the Zin is more or less comparable to this bottle in quality, I’d call this a very attractive offer indeed.
Questions?
Also an auto-buy here.
Terrific-Edwardian-Turkey
