2018 Three Wine Company Zinfandel Live Oak Vineyard Contra Costa County 750 ml

Matt Cline called Live Oak Vineyard “the crowning achievement of ancient-vine Zinfandel in America.” 

The ancient vineyard in Contra Costa County is populated by 133-year-old vines that grow there without trellising, irrigation, or anything resembling modern farming. Planted in the FIRST Cleveland administration, the site has a history that makes some of the oldest Cabernet vineyards in Napa Valley seem like they were planted last week. It sits on Delhi sand thirty feet deep, and produces far less fruit than its peers.

One sip of this lush, dark-berry-laden wine will remind you exactly why Three Wine Co. Zinfandels have earned over 400 five-star ratings. Showing a deep ruby center with crimson reflections throughout, it’s awash in warm blackberry, crushed raspberry, preserved strawberry, Loganberry, and a kiss of anise. Rich and spicy on the palate, woodsy herb tones and barrel spice pull through on its long finish. 

Matt has sought out the most noble vineyards in the state—sometimes battling real estate developers over them—and turned them into wines that deliver a remarkable amount of flavor intensity and richness for the price. Much of this, of course, is due to the sites he chooses. Their mature vines produce dense, concentrated berries that are bursting with polyphenols and flavor compounds. The resulting wines are dazzling and complex.

Rooted in deep, sandy soil, the Live Oak Vineyard is one of the most noble in the Golden State, producing stunningly rich fruit. Cline refuses to dilute this Zin with younger berries, leading to a wine that is one of the most spectacularly concentrated, ethereally complex Zins in California. This is required drinking for any Zinfandel lover.