2020 Peachy Canyon Mustard Creek Zinfandel, Paso Robles
A classic blend of Zinfandel and Petite Sirah, the 2020 Mustard Creek has a dark garnet hue and smells of dried cranberry, stewed fruit, and white pepper. Flavors of chocolate-covered cherries and boysenberries coat your tongue and lead to a long, rich finish.
Vinification
Zinfandel and Petite Sirah from Mustard Creek vineyard were harvested on the same day in 2020. Upon receiving and weighing the fruit, we selected bins that would result in a 75% Zinfandel, 25% Petite Sirah blend which we co-fermented. This helped to create a more robust and dense Mustard Creek Zinfandel than in years prior. After roughly two weeks of fermentation in contact with the skins, this wine was bone dry and nearly through malolactic fermentation. The wine was barreled down after pressing and aged in primarily once used and neutral American oak barrels, but some nuance was created thanks to two new Hungarian oak puncheons. In late July 2021, these barrels were racked and returned to the same barrels they had aged in until that point. The final blend was allowed to marry in barrels for another 8 months before bottling in March of 2022.
Specs
Vintage: 2020
Varietal: 76% Zinfandel, 24% Petite Sirah
Vineyard: Mustard Creek Vineyard, Adelaida District, Estate Grown
Appellation: Paso Robles
Harvest Date: September 10-15, 2020
Alcohol: 14.5%
pH: 3.87
Total Acidity: 6.9 g/L
2020 Peachy Canyon Bailey Zinfandel, Paso Robles
Tasting Notes
Crafted from an organically farmed vineyard, Bailey is a showstopper. The nose is bursting with aromas of olallieberries, roses, and blueberry pie. The palate is redolent of mixed dark fruit cobbler brimming with baking spices and candied cherries leading to a long silky finish.
Vinification
2020 Bailey Zinfandel was delivered over two days in mid-September. We opted to ferment a large portion of the Zinfandel in a stainless tank in 2020 – where it received 2 gentle pump-overs per day. Unfortunately, an otherworldly presence manifests every harvest to ensure that an intern will do something wrong to the tank we used, despite it being nearly next to the laboratory. In 2020 a FLORIDA MAN removed the wrong clamp, thus de-valving the tank. But before too many precious grapes could spill onto the floor, an alert staff member capped the valve stem. This unintentional, beer-fine-inducing saignee resulted in a beautifully concentrated vintage of Bailey Zinfandel. While the tank was fermented by a commercial strain of yeast, a smaller lot of the same fruit was fermented natively in a bin. Both portions were pressed on the same day – the resulting free-run juices were aged separately from the combined press fraction. All portions of Bailey Zinfandel were aged in 30% new French oak barrels and a single puncheon; the remaining 70% spent about 8 months in neutral French barriques. The components were blended in June of 2021 and returned to once and twice used French and Hungarian barriques to marry until it was bottled in March of 2022.
Named for our winemaker’s mother, this vintage of Nancy’s View has a bright garnet hue. Brimming with scents of dark fruit and toasty oak, it is lush with jammy flavors of blueberries, cocoa, and grilled pineapple.
Vinification
2020 Nancy’s View was blended to be bold and grippy – to be the opposite of Especial’s silky weight. The base of this wine was subsequent picks of our “mixed blacks” Windmill Block. Upon receipt of the fruit from the first pass of the Windmill block, we filled both our 3-ton concrete fermenter and a bin. After alcoholic fermentation was complete, we aged a portion of the initial free run drain from the fermentation in a concrete pyramid, while the remainder of the wine was aged in French and Hungarian oak barrels. The second pass of the Windmill Block was fermented natively in bins. A single barrel of Zinfandel from the Pipeline Block, a smattering of Clevenger-clone Zinfandel from the Cottage Block, and the now three portions of Windmill Zinfandel were aged separately in once and twice-used French oak barrels and puncheons. In June of 2021 these elements were assembled to create the bold, textural wine that we returned to about 35% new French oak for 8 months of additional aging prior to being bottled in March 2022.
Peachy Canyon is a family-owned and operated winery in beautiful Paso Robles on California’s Central Coast; near Hearst Castle and Big Sur.
Founded by Doug and Nancy Beckett in 1988, Peachy Canyon has long been praised as a producer of award winning California wines that exemplify respect for terroir and dedicated winemaking.
Zinfandel has long been Peachy Canyon’s flagship varietal—oftentimes with multiple vineyard designates in production. These red Zinfandels range from elegant and restrained to fruit forward, each an exemplary call to its own terroir. With these exemplary Zins Peachy Canyon has been instrumental in establishing Paso Robles’ reputation as a key California wine region.
Although Zinfandels dominate the tasting menu, you will find Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Petite Sirah, Viognier and more available to sample, including a series of premium Bordeaux-style wines that highlight Paso Robles’ bucolic vineyard terrain. These wines are epitomized by Peachy’s Para Siempre, a top-tier Bordeaux blend based in Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, and Ms Behave, a rich multi-award winning Malbec.
Peachy Canyon has been ranked in the top 100 wines in the world by Wine Spectator magazine, and its many wines have been ranked with 90-point-plus scores, often for multiple vintages.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
@ttboy23 I looked it up; many complaints of getting a full case of one wine rather than a mix, and people weren’t happy with the resolution; a coupon for future purchases. I didn’t bite on that one.
@klezman@ttboy23 Well, uhhh, there was a similar mix-up with Fetzer a long time ago, and yes, they sent me another full case of wine. So, you never know. Of course.,.Fetzer.
@FritzCat@ttboy23 and the was one with Esterlina way back in the day (2011) where they sent off dry instead of dry Riesling. They re-sent the orders with the correct wine. But I think in both of those cases the entire thing was incorrect rather than improper distribution of the correct wines.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations).
Peachy Canyon Mixed Estate Zinfandels - $60 = 23.07%
Peachy Canyon is an auto buy. I’m very curious to know, if any fellow CM friends have tasted the Mustard Creek Zin blend and can let us know if they got any oak and if it was predominant, since it was agents in part in American oak. Thank you
Sorry for the slow posting. I’m not feeling so peachy after yesterday’s festivities.
Maroon in color. If I spilled it on my sofa, it would blend right in, which is a huge plus for me.
Nose is hot, bright, and fruity. The bottle mentions Olallieberries, but I’m not sure those are even a real thing. Apparently, the USDA invented them in 1949 at Oregon State University by crossing a Loganberry with a Youngberry (two other berries that may or may not exist). I can only assume this was to feed the growing Liger population at the time. Apparently, they taste like a 2/3 blackberry, 1/3 raspberry, so pretty accurate on the nose.
Palate for me was dry, jammy, cran-raspberry cherry compote. Hot and spicy out of the gate with lots of white pepper and some bay leaf. A quick run through the aerator wasn’t taming this silly snake (my 4-year-old stuck a “Silly Snake” on the bottle when I left the room for a second). It mellowed out slightly on day two and finally softened by day 3, while still holding together well.
The bottle also mentions organically farmed fruit. It does taste like a lot of effort was put into making this wine. Almost as much effort as it took Taylor Swift to fly all the way from Japan to be there for her man on the most important day of… sorry, I just had a quick flashback to yesterday.
To wrap this up I would like to say that while I don’t drink a lot of zinfandel, this wine impressed me. I tried it alongside some brisket (ancho coffee rub / oak mesquite smoke) that I made for the game and the pairing was excellent. I can’t speak for the other bottles in the offer, but this one would be good value at the price listed.
Short notice lab rat here, happily we got the wine in time to be able to share a few notes! Short and sweet: this is delicious wine, but also a bit surprising for a Zinfandel. The label claims “jammy” and “blueberries,” we didn’t get that at all. Rather, we get quite a bit of spice and a pleasantly earthy backnote that is much more reminiscent of Syrah than Zinfandel. Indeed, Mrs. Z and I both independently remarked that if you had blindfolded us, we would have thought we were drinking a nice French Côtes du Rhône.
To give some further Zinfandel reference, we’ve been drinking a lot of Pedroncelli Mother clone recently and this is… not that! (You could also call this the “opposite of InZinErator” and I wouldn’t quibble with you.) The fruit is definitely bright, to be clear, but I wouldn’t call it jammy and we both thought blackberry would be a better reference point. It does seem more fruit forward after getting to breathe for a while.
We paired the wine with fresh baked bread, charcuterie, and cheese and it was a home run. The peppery notes of the wine stood up particularly well to some funky mustard flavored salami and Italian truffle butter.
Bottom line: this is a great bottle of wine and it’s a steal at the offered price point. Just don’t expect your classic American fruit bomb Zinfandel. It’s a totally different experience, and that’s not in any way a bad thing. As long as you know what you’re getting, this one is two thumbs way way up.
Clear garnet color. On pnp there was little on the nose, a faint fruity fragrance. About two hours later aromas of fruit, spice and pepper appeared. The palate is opening up too, with cherry, cranberry, blackberry and cocoa. On pnp the astringent high tannin level was a bit much and out of balance to the fruit, but seems to be coming into a much better balance after an hour. There may be a bit of oak, but the 25% Petite Sirah has added some heft to the body and tannins.
At the two hour mark this is shaping up nicely and is an interesting and enjoyable wine.
It has plenty of acidity and tannins to complement food.
I would enjoy an evening with friends picking this apart as it evolves. I am comfortable to recommend this wine without reservation.
Apologies for the unavoidable late post.
Looks like a great offer.
2020 Peachy Canyon Mustard Creek Zinfandel, Paso Robles
Vinification
Specs
2020 Peachy Canyon Bailey Zinfandel, Paso Robles
Tasting Notes
Vinification
Specs
2020 Peachy Canyon Nancy’s View Zinfandel, Paso Robles
Tasting Notes
Vinification
Specs
What’s Included
3-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
$572.00/Case for 4x 2020 Peachy Canyon Mustard Creek Zinfandel + 4x 2020 Peachy Canyon Nancy’s View Zinfandel + 4x 2020 Peachy Canyon Bailey Zinfandel at Peachy Canyon Winery
About The Wineries
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Mar 4 - Tuesday, Mar 5
Peachy Canyon Mixed Estate Zinfandels
3 bottles for $64.99 $21.66/bottle + $2.67/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $199.99 $16.67/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2020 Peachy Canyon Mustard Creek Zinfandel
2020 Peachy Canyon Bailey Zinfandel
2020 Peachy Canyon Zinfandel Nancy’s View
Tariff is friendly when compared to average CT pricing even at the three bottle lot.
I wonder if someone is checking these boxes. Remember the LAST Peachy Canyon order?
@ttboy23 I looked it up; many complaints of getting a full case of one wine rather than a mix, and people weren’t happy with the resolution; a coupon for future purchases. I didn’t bite on that one.
@FritzCat @ttboy23 What’d they expect - a free additional case of wine?
@klezman @ttboy23 Well, uhhh, there was a similar mix-up with Fetzer a long time ago, and yes, they sent me another full case of wine. So, you never know. Of course.,.Fetzer.
@FritzCat @ttboy23 and the was one with Esterlina way back in the day (2011) where they sent off dry instead of dry Riesling. They re-sent the orders with the correct wine. But I think in both of those cases the entire thing was incorrect rather than improper distribution of the correct wines.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations).
Peachy Canyon Mixed Estate Zinfandels - $60 = 23.07%
Cellar is well stocked, but not with Zin. Any CMH folks interested in a split?
Peachy Canyon is an auto buy. I’m very curious to know, if any fellow CM friends have tasted the Mustard Creek Zin blend and can let us know if they got any oak and if it was predominant, since it was agents in part in American oak. Thank you
@Leatherchair sorry meant “aged” in American oak
@Leatherchair The vintner may know better, but I think the fruit brings the bulk of the tannins.
We expecting Rats on this?
@jrbw3 Just posted. Any questions, let me know.
@char2na Thank you!
Peachy Canyon – Bailey
Sorry for the slow posting. I’m not feeling so peachy after yesterday’s festivities.
Maroon in color. If I spilled it on my sofa, it would blend right in, which is a huge plus for me.
Nose is hot, bright, and fruity. The bottle mentions Olallieberries, but I’m not sure those are even a real thing. Apparently, the USDA invented them in 1949 at Oregon State University by crossing a Loganberry with a Youngberry (two other berries that may or may not exist). I can only assume this was to feed the growing Liger population at the time. Apparently, they taste like a 2/3 blackberry, 1/3 raspberry, so pretty accurate on the nose.
Palate for me was dry, jammy, cran-raspberry cherry compote. Hot and spicy out of the gate with lots of white pepper and some bay leaf. A quick run through the aerator wasn’t taming this silly snake (my 4-year-old stuck a “Silly Snake” on the bottle when I left the room for a second). It mellowed out slightly on day two and finally softened by day 3, while still holding together well.
The bottle also mentions organically farmed fruit. It does taste like a lot of effort was put into making this wine. Almost as much effort as it took Taylor Swift to fly all the way from Japan to be there for her man on the most important day of… sorry, I just had a quick flashback to yesterday.
To wrap this up I would like to say that while I don’t drink a lot of zinfandel, this wine impressed me. I tried it alongside some brisket (ancho coffee rub / oak mesquite smoke) that I made for the game and the pairing was excellent. I can’t speak for the other bottles in the offer, but this one would be good value at the price listed.
@char2na “growing Liger population “, outstanding rattage.
2020 Peachy Canyon Zinfandel Nancy’s View
Short notice lab rat here, happily we got the wine in time to be able to share a few notes! Short and sweet: this is delicious wine, but also a bit surprising for a Zinfandel. The label claims “jammy” and “blueberries,” we didn’t get that at all. Rather, we get quite a bit of spice and a pleasantly earthy backnote that is much more reminiscent of Syrah than Zinfandel. Indeed, Mrs. Z and I both independently remarked that if you had blindfolded us, we would have thought we were drinking a nice French Côtes du Rhône.
To give some further Zinfandel reference, we’ve been drinking a lot of Pedroncelli Mother clone recently and this is… not that! (You could also call this the “opposite of InZinErator” and I wouldn’t quibble with you.) The fruit is definitely bright, to be clear, but I wouldn’t call it jammy and we both thought blackberry would be a better reference point. It does seem more fruit forward after getting to breathe for a while.
We paired the wine with fresh baked bread, charcuterie, and cheese and it was a home run. The peppery notes of the wine stood up particularly well to some funky mustard flavored salami and Italian truffle butter.
Bottom line: this is a great bottle of wine and it’s a steal at the offered price point. Just don’t expect your classic American fruit bomb Zinfandel. It’s a totally different experience, and that’s not in any way a bad thing. As long as you know what you’re getting, this one is two thumbs way way up.
@jakezim great rattage and great coffee table/sofa combo
2020 Peachy Canyon Mustard Creek Zinfandel
Clear garnet color. On pnp there was little on the nose, a faint fruity fragrance. About two hours later aromas of fruit, spice and pepper appeared. The palate is opening up too, with cherry, cranberry, blackberry and cocoa. On pnp the astringent high tannin level was a bit much and out of balance to the fruit, but seems to be coming into a much better balance after an hour. There may be a bit of oak, but the 25% Petite Sirah has added some heft to the body and tannins.
At the two hour mark this is shaping up nicely and is an interesting and enjoyable wine.
It has plenty of acidity and tannins to complement food.
I would enjoy an evening with friends picking this apart as it evolves. I am comfortable to recommend this wine without reservation.
Apologies for the unavoidable late post.
Looks like a great offer.
@msten great review and thank you for the comments oak above. Put me over the edge for a case. Appreciate it
A lot of clean-up in isle 3 to sort out these bottles…
Great reviews. Thank you char2na for the info on the mysterious Olalliberry.
In, split with a buddy.
/giphy engaging-ugly-honey
/giphy traumatic-wearisome-head
