Pale garnet, bordering on brick. Extremely balanced, with light grainy tannins, nice length, and a full body. A spicy nose of bay leaves, rose petals, white pepper, coriander, and anise opens up to a mouth full of raspberry brambles and strawberry-rhubarb pie. Accented with hints of ripe stone-fruit, red currants, and vanilla.
Vinification Notes
The fruit for this Zinfandel was sourced from multiple vineyards on the west side of Paso Robles. Picked as they reached optimal ripeness the grapes were hand harvested and carefully destemmed. The resulting musts were fermented to dryness and softly pressed before being aged for 18 months in a combination of 30% new, French, Hungarian and American oak barriques and puncheons.
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—often times 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.
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, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2017 Peachy Canyon Westside Zinfandel - $30 = 18.74%
The Peachy Canyon 2017 Westside Zinfandel arrived on my doorstep as a surprise. Woohoo. Labrat duties commence.
This was my first experience with the winery so this was exciting. Upon opening, the cork was free of sediment. Color was garnet. First sniff after pouring, I got a hint of berries, perhaps raspberry or blackberry, leather, and spice – maybe allspice. First sip was tart, not sour, but rather tart fruit and maybe some plum and dark cherry. Jammy. Hint of vanilla. There was an unexplainable something that I just couldn’t place; an undertone. Another sip. Finish was long and dry, but not bone dry.
I let the glass sit for approx. 30 minutes while I got a plate ready. Took a sip. Alcohol had worn off, but no change in the fruit. Picking up a little pepper. Let’s try with food. I pulled out some Point Reyes Original Blue and sliced a bit for the plate. Mmmm. That pairing was fantastic! I could eat and drink this combo all night. Next up was spicy pork, spaghetti squash with an arriabata as well as butter and parmesan (two options to try the different flavors), and some chili roasted pistachios. The pork was not a good pairing. The butter/parmesan was overpowered, the arriabata was fighting against the wine. Maybe spicy is not the way to go. Finally, the chili roasted pistachios were a winner. There goes that theory. I tried the wine again after dinner on its own and still thought there was that undertone, but interestingly it disappeared with the blue cheese and pistachios in which I opted to indulge to finish the remainder of the glass. Yum. I corked the bottle and left it on the counter for the next day.
Day two yielded different results. The flavors had blended nicely, the unexplainable undertone had dissipated completely, and it was an easy drinker with no sharp edges. It was lovely on its own. Beef tacos were on the menu and that was a miss. I went back to the blue cheese and pistachios. Delicious. I’m not sure what the best pairing would be for a main course, but the combo of the blue cheese, chili roasted pistachios and the wine was amazing and that would be my perfect pairing. To me this is more of an everyday drinker after the bottle has been opened for a bit. Thank you to everyone at WCC, Alice, WineDavid, and Peachy Canyon for the labrat opportunity.
88 Points. Canned cherries and red plums cast a red fruit net across the pleasant nose of this widely available, fairly priced bottling. Spicy tones of nutmeg and dried ginger give depth to the cherry-sauce flavors. MK 12/1/19
91 Points. Deep shimmering red. Expansive raspberry and boysenberry aromas, along with vanilla, mocha and spice nuances. Sappy and focused in the mouth, offering gently sweet red and blue fruit flavors that deepen slowly on the back half. The spicy quality repeats strongly on a long, smooth finish shaped by round, even tannins.JR
annnnd from Connoisseurs’ Guide…
86 Points. Solidly built, fully ripe and slightly fleshy in feel but always a bit hesitant in Zinfandel’s fruity essentials, Peachy Canyon’s latest Westside bottling flirts here and there with dark chocolate and berries, but tends to dry out as it goes and, in the end, its flavors are occluded by enough tannin and heat to cost it a chance at full one-star recommendation. 1/20
I was excited to get an email from Alice that wine was coming my way. Unfortunately, it went to my previous address (which has now been updated). I quickly reached out to a few friends and one agreed to enjoy a free bottle of wine in exchange for some notes. I’ll paste his notes and images here:
Got the wine today, here are my thoughts: Dark purpleish wine, with a light fruity flavor that tastes like cherry or plum. Not overly sweet nor bitter, hits a nice balance. It is very smooth, no hint of any dryness in the mouth like many other wines (that’s tannic acid right?). The finish has hint of vanilla and somewhat smoky flavor. It also hit me harder than expected, didn’t realize it had a 14% alcohol by vol.
Wine next day: It has lost some of its sweetness when you first take a drink, but otherwise is still smooth. I would say it is not a complex wine, maybe single layered? (I’m not great at the layering) The finish is short, but still smooth like yesterday. I would call it a decent wine, especially if it is reasonably priced.
He said he thinks $15 a bottle is reasonable for this wine. From his notes, I’m probably in for a 6 pack. I’m not a huge Zin fan, but it seemed like him (and his wife) liked the bottle. Decent QPR.
I look forward to being a rat, especially when I can try the wine , in the future!
This is one of my favorite wineries, especially to visit back the day when we could travel safely. Always loved their zins - I look forward to doing that again sometime, in the meantime, I will probably go in for at least a six …
2017 Peachy Canyon Westside Zinfandel, Paso Robles
Tasting Notes
GOLD MEDAL ~ SUNSET Magazine Int’l Wine Comp.
91 Points ~ Vinous
88 Points ~ Wine Enthusiast
Vinification Notes
Specs
Included in the Box
6-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
$297.50/Case at Peachy Canyon Winery for 12x 2017 Peachy Canyon Westside Zinfandel, Paso Robles
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Nov 16 - Tuesday, Nov 17
Peachy Canyon Westside Zinfandel
6 bottles for $79.99 $13.33/bottle + $1.33/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $129.99 $10.83/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2017 Peachy Canyon Westside Zinfandel
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2017 Peachy Canyon Westside Zinfandel - $30 = 18.74%
The Peachy Canyon 2017 Westside Zinfandel arrived on my doorstep as a surprise. Woohoo. Labrat duties commence.
This was my first experience with the winery so this was exciting. Upon opening, the cork was free of sediment. Color was garnet. First sniff after pouring, I got a hint of berries, perhaps raspberry or blackberry, leather, and spice – maybe allspice. First sip was tart, not sour, but rather tart fruit and maybe some plum and dark cherry. Jammy. Hint of vanilla. There was an unexplainable something that I just couldn’t place; an undertone. Another sip. Finish was long and dry, but not bone dry.
I let the glass sit for approx. 30 minutes while I got a plate ready. Took a sip. Alcohol had worn off, but no change in the fruit. Picking up a little pepper. Let’s try with food. I pulled out some Point Reyes Original Blue and sliced a bit for the plate. Mmmm. That pairing was fantastic! I could eat and drink this combo all night. Next up was spicy pork, spaghetti squash with an arriabata as well as butter and parmesan (two options to try the different flavors), and some chili roasted pistachios. The pork was not a good pairing. The butter/parmesan was overpowered, the arriabata was fighting against the wine. Maybe spicy is not the way to go. Finally, the chili roasted pistachios were a winner. There goes that theory. I tried the wine again after dinner on its own and still thought there was that undertone, but interestingly it disappeared with the blue cheese and pistachios in which I opted to indulge to finish the remainder of the glass. Yum. I corked the bottle and left it on the counter for the next day.
Day two yielded different results. The flavors had blended nicely, the unexplainable undertone had dissipated completely, and it was an easy drinker with no sharp edges. It was lovely on its own. Beef tacos were on the menu and that was a miss. I went back to the blue cheese and pistachios. Delicious. I’m not sure what the best pairing would be for a main course, but the combo of the blue cheese, chili roasted pistachios and the wine was amazing and that would be my perfect pairing. To me this is more of an everyday drinker after the bottle has been opened for a bit. Thank you to everyone at WCC, Alice, WineDavid, and Peachy Canyon for the labrat opportunity.
@chefjess Thank you for the review. I like the chili pistachio pairing.
The Wine Enthusiast review:
88 Points. Canned cherries and red plums cast a red fruit net across the pleasant nose of this widely available, fairly priced bottling. Spicy tones of nutmeg and dried ginger give depth to the cherry-sauce flavors. MK 12/1/19
https://www.winemag.com/buying-guide/peachy-canyon-2017-westside-zinfandel-paso-robles/
and the Vinous review…
91 Points. Deep shimmering red. Expansive raspberry and boysenberry aromas, along with vanilla, mocha and spice nuances. Sappy and focused in the mouth, offering gently sweet red and blue fruit flavors that deepen slowly on the back half. The spicy quality repeats strongly on a long, smooth finish shaped by round, even tannins.JR
annnnd from Connoisseurs’ Guide…
86 Points. Solidly built, fully ripe and slightly fleshy in feel but always a bit hesitant in Zinfandel’s fruity essentials, Peachy Canyon’s latest Westside bottling flirts here and there with dark chocolate and berries, but tends to dry out as it goes and, in the end, its flavors are occluded by enough tannin and heat to cost it a chance at full one-star recommendation. 1/20
fwiw
I been a Peachy Canyon fan for years. Classic little Paso Robles vineyard with nice reds and blends.
@peabs007 Agree - would normally buy this but way overstocked at the moment!
I was excited to get an email from Alice that wine was coming my way. Unfortunately, it went to my previous address (which has now been updated). I quickly reached out to a few friends and one agreed to enjoy a free bottle of wine in exchange for some notes. I’ll paste his notes and images here:
Got the wine today, here are my thoughts: Dark purpleish wine, with a light fruity flavor that tastes like cherry or plum. Not overly sweet nor bitter, hits a nice balance. It is very smooth, no hint of any dryness in the mouth like many other wines (that’s tannic acid right?). The finish has hint of vanilla and somewhat smoky flavor. It also hit me harder than expected, didn’t realize it had a 14% alcohol by vol.
Wine next day: It has lost some of its sweetness when you first take a drink, but otherwise is still smooth. I would say it is not a complex wine, maybe single layered? (I’m not great at the layering) The finish is short, but still smooth like yesterday. I would call it a decent wine, especially if it is reasonably priced.
He said he thinks $15 a bottle is reasonable for this wine. From his notes, I’m probably in for a 6 pack. I’m not a huge Zin fan, but it seemed like him (and his wife) liked the bottle. Decent QPR.
I look forward to being a rat, especially when I can try the wine , in the future!
@jchasma This happened to me with a “recent” Scott Harvey offer.
Tangentially related music:
@chipgreen This is the song that comes to my mind when I think about peaches (probably because John Prine was an institution in Chicago folk music):
This is one of my favorite wineries, especially to visit back the day when we could travel safely. Always loved their zins - I look forward to doing that again sometime, in the meantime, I will probably go in for at least a six …
I have had this wine, it’s a bargain @ $13
Are y’all sure that the blend isn’t 77% Primitivo and 8% Zinfandel? How can one be sure?