Zinfandel is complex, juicy, bold and delicious. Aromas of black and blue berries leap from the glass and your mouth is filled with juicy strawberry notes wrapped in a glove of spicy velvet.
Sometimes misunderstood, Zinfandel is thought of as the big, dumb jock of wines. But don’t be fooled – this jock also writes poetry, goes to an Ivy League school, and is the epitome of the Renaissance man.
Moon Mountain District starts at 400 feet elevation and rises to 2200 feet above sea level. It’s a dramatic, rugged region on the western slopes of the Mayacamas Mountains. The combination of heat and elevation allow for fantastic ripening and fruit flavor development while maintaining that underlying level of sophistication.
Specs
Vintage: 2018
Varietal: 100% Zinfandel
Appellation: Moon Mountain District Sonoma County (Sonoma Valley)
Alcohol:15.7%
Winemaker: Rob McDonald
What’s Included
4-bottles:
4x 2018 The Messenger Moon Mountain Zinfandel Case:
It started 20 years ago with an opportunity to work for a craft brewer in Western Australia. Showing up in Australia with a degree from the University of California, a good work ethic and a “can do” spirit was the perfect combination of right place-right time. After three years down under, Kat moved back to the US and her husband, Australian Rob McDonald quickly followed.
They founded Old Bridge Cellars and began importing the legendary Australian wines they both loved…d’Arenberg, Jasper Hill, Yarra Yaring, Leeuwin Estate. Along the way, Kat took a break and went to law school, they planted vineyards in both Australia and the Napa Valley and began making their own wines including the eponymous named Mak.
In 2008, they founded Art+Farm Wine in Napa. Art+Farm is home to their single vineyard wines the girls in the vineyard, their outrageous blends-The Messenger and their true varietals: Circadia.
Kat and Rob live in Napa with their two children and an odd looking creature that is supposed to be a dog. Kat is a little obsessed with her heritage breed chickens and the eggs they lay and also her bees. Rob is obsessed with compost and growing the perfect tomato. Both are huge proponents of dry farming and see water as the single biggest factor in the future of agriculture.
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
The messenger
Moon mountain district
Sonoma county
Zin
28
2018
Chilled once received and paired with Lemon spinach chicken with roasted parsnips and brussels sprouts.
Visual:
Dark inky purple, lots of legs.
On the nose:
Lite bouquets, spicy-pepper, prune (something funky), alcohol lingering around.
Taste:
Bold! Oh boy I wasn’t expecting that. Didn’t pair well with my meal, grilled meat would pair perfectly. Hints of pepper, lots of tannins, and hints of that lingering alcohol was upfront on first sip but quickly went away.
SWMBO agrees with boldness, says it’s sharp, with tangy finish.
She was a big fan, likening it’s bold nature. I was not drawn to it.
2nd day
Melowed out, abundant dark berries, acidity increased, taste more complex with a nice lingering aftertaste.
Decanting would really help out, I found it was a lot more enjoyable on day 2.
Wife and I are both split on this wine, given some more time and decanting, this wine has great potential.
definitely a daring move with the lemon chicken - I applaud your experimental-ness. Moon mountain produces big bold reds with weight and texture and I really enjoy the range of flavors in this wine. Hopefully you get to try another bottle with something grilled!
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
2018 The Messenger Moon Mountain Zinfandel - $45 = 23.07%
Well I’m Enthusiastic about my Illini! Someone say Wine Enthusiast? Well kind of… (10:15pm starts for an old guy on the right coast are brutal I might add…ha!)
84 points. Vegan and reductive, this wine is gargantuan in size and ripeness, with earthy iron and garrigue notes accenting a core of jammy, over-the-top blackberry flavor. — Virginie Boone 4/1/21
I find Wine Enthusiast reviews in general to be quite good. But at the end of the day it’s a crap shoot and we lost this one. All I can assume is that the wine tasted immediately prior must have been stunning!!
@ArtFarmWine Just the messenger here… ha! actually reading this and rattage and your comments I think one can get a pretty good idea of style, points aside. Thanks for stopping by.
The Messenger Moon Mountain Zinfandel is a wine that lives up to its name. It’s a bold, high alcohol Zinfandel that immediately announces its presence.
On first pour, the wine boasts a deep, dark ruby color with hints of purple, hinting at the intensity to come. The nose explodes with aromas of black and blue fruit - think juicy blueberries and plump blackberries - alongside a surprising note of peppery spice.
It’s full-bodied and mouthfilling, with a plush texture but very sharp. The alcohol content is high, and it shows, initially presenting a warmth that lingers on the back of the throat.
There’s a surprising pop of acidity that cuts through the richness, but it leans towards a very tart edge for a Zinfandel. This acidity is what makes The Messenger a tricky pairing proposition. While the bold fruit profile might suggest a hearty red meat dish, I found it clashed with the acidic nature of a chicken parmesan. The cheese and tomato sauce simply couldn’t compete with the intensity of the wine.
This Zinfandel benefits greatly from some air time. After being open for a day, the high alcohol mellowed out a bit, allowing the other flavors to emerge.
In conclusion, The Messenger Moon Mountain Zinfandel is a powerful Zinfandel with a lot of alcohol.
@lastgoodbye your last sentence is spot on. We received the shipment Wednesday and let it rest in the wine cooler till Saturday. We had a bottle with a steak, asparagus, and mashed potatoes.
The wine is delicious. It paired wonderfully with the dinner. We finished the rest of it over a movie.
The alcohol snuck up on us and we were both guzzling a couple of bottles of hydration (Vitamin Water) the next morning.
Granted, we had shared a bottle of 8.9% alcohol vinho verde over the course of the afternoon prior to opening this but still…
Anyway, loved the wine. Going to lay a couple of bottles down till next year.
2018 The Messenger Moon Mountain Zinfandel
Tasting Notes
Specs
What’s Included
4-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
$324.00/Case for 12x 2018 The Messenger Moon Mountain Zinfandel at Art + Farm Wine
About The Winery
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, Apr 22 - Tuesday, Apr 23
2018 The Messenger Moon Mountain Zinfandel
4 bottles for $64.99 $16.25/bottle + $2/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $149.99 $12.50/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
The messenger
Moon mountain district
Sonoma county
Zin
28
2018
Chilled once received and paired with Lemon spinach chicken with roasted parsnips and brussels sprouts.
Visual:
Dark inky purple, lots of legs.
On the nose:
Lite bouquets, spicy-pepper, prune (something funky), alcohol lingering around.
Taste:
Bold! Oh boy I wasn’t expecting that. Didn’t pair well with my meal, grilled meat would pair perfectly. Hints of pepper, lots of tannins, and hints of that lingering alcohol was upfront on first sip but quickly went away.
SWMBO agrees with boldness, says it’s sharp, with tangy finish.
She was a big fan, likening it’s bold nature. I was not drawn to it.
2nd day
Melowed out, abundant dark berries, acidity increased, taste more complex with a nice lingering aftertaste.
Decanting would really help out, I found it was a lot more enjoyable on day 2.
Wife and I are both split on this wine, given some more time and decanting, this wine has great potential.
@i8dacat
definitely a daring move with the lemon chicken - I applaud your experimental-ness. Moon mountain produces big bold reds with weight and texture and I really enjoy the range of flavors in this wine. Hopefully you get to try another bottle with something grilled!
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
2018 The Messenger Moon Mountain Zinfandel - $45 = 23.07%
Well I’m Enthusiastic about my Illini! Someone say Wine Enthusiast? Well kind of… (10:15pm starts for an old guy on the right coast are brutal I might add…ha!)
84 points. Vegan and reductive, this wine is gargantuan in size and ripeness, with earthy iron and garrigue notes accenting a core of jammy, over-the-top blackberry flavor. — Virginie Boone 4/1/21
fwiw
@kaolis
I find Wine Enthusiast reviews in general to be quite good. But at the end of the day it’s a crap shoot and we lost this one. All I can assume is that the wine tasted immediately prior must have been stunning!!
@ArtFarmWine Just the messenger here… ha! actually reading this and rattage and your comments I think one can get a pretty good idea of style, points aside. Thanks for stopping by.
@i8dacat @kaolis
I’d say that Marshall is an apt accompaniment.
In for a 4-pack but I’ll probably regret not getting a case. Sounds like my kinda juice.
/giphy unadorned-rusty-minotaur
The Messenger Moon Mountain Zinfandel is a wine that lives up to its name. It’s a bold, high alcohol Zinfandel that immediately announces its presence.
On first pour, the wine boasts a deep, dark ruby color with hints of purple, hinting at the intensity to come. The nose explodes with aromas of black and blue fruit - think juicy blueberries and plump blackberries - alongside a surprising note of peppery spice.
It’s full-bodied and mouthfilling, with a plush texture but very sharp. The alcohol content is high, and it shows, initially presenting a warmth that lingers on the back of the throat.
There’s a surprising pop of acidity that cuts through the richness, but it leans towards a very tart edge for a Zinfandel. This acidity is what makes The Messenger a tricky pairing proposition. While the bold fruit profile might suggest a hearty red meat dish, I found it clashed with the acidic nature of a chicken parmesan. The cheese and tomato sauce simply couldn’t compete with the intensity of the wine.
This Zinfandel benefits greatly from some air time. After being open for a day, the high alcohol mellowed out a bit, allowing the other flavors to emerge.
In conclusion, The Messenger Moon Mountain Zinfandel is a powerful Zinfandel with a lot of alcohol.
@lastgoodbye your last sentence is spot on. We received the shipment Wednesday and let it rest in the wine cooler till Saturday. We had a bottle with a steak, asparagus, and mashed potatoes.
The wine is delicious. It paired wonderfully with the dinner. We finished the rest of it over a movie.
The alcohol snuck up on us and we were both guzzling a couple of bottles of hydration (Vitamin Water) the next morning.
Granted, we had shared a bottle of 8.9% alcohol vinho verde over the course of the afternoon prior to opening this but still…
Anyway, loved the wine. Going to lay a couple of bottles down till next year.
Cheers, lionel47.