2015 Quivira Zinfandel Anderson Ranch Dry Creek Valley Sonoma County

This Zinfandel was grown organically in sandy benchland in the Lytton Springs corridor of Dry Creek Valley. The wine was aged in foudre, a large wooden vessel that limits a wine’s exposure to oxygen and oak flavors during élevage.

I’ve held onto this sample for two years because I thought it might need cellaring, and, yes, time has rewarded such patience. The fragrance is a medley of red fruits, both fresh and dried; there is the scent of cherry, cranberry, and pomegranate, plus notes of greenery like sage and juniper. An overleaf of crushed anise seed and violets adds dimension. (These impressions prove Zin’s flavor affinity with dry wines made of Touriga Nacional.) Texturally this wine is not as weighty as I’d expected given its alcohol content. The fruit leans toward red with slashes of blue and black but overall the wine retains its levity. It’s a well-crafted Zin that’s now in a good drinking window.