2019 Franklin Son Pere Old Vine Zinfandel Alexander Valley 750 ml

It’s a good thing we’re mule-stubborn—because anything short of obsessiveness, and this extraordinary old-vine Zinfandel would have slipped through our fingers.

A gorgeous, small-production rarity culled from vines as old as 140 years, this wine was not searching for publicity, or even necessarily sales. Our quest to find it began after a BYO dinner where this Sonoma County red blew us away with its full-bodied richness, silky tannins, and fresh, vibrant aromas of blackberries and baking spice. But the acquaintance who brought it couldn’t even remember how it had ended up in his cellar.

We tried the usual sources—Google, trusted Alexander Valley friends, supplier lists—and came up empty. Finally, we uncovered an address, which led us to a site believed to be the third-oldest documented vineyard in Alexander Valley, with original plantings dating to the 1880s.

Just as remarkable was the tiny farming operation attached to the plot, which also felt right out of the late 19th century. Franklin Son Père is run by a single family of third-generation growers descended from French-Alsatian ancestors, working a single plot of land, just as many immigrants did when they first settled in California over a century ago.

Yields off these ancient vines are TINY—so tiny, in fact, that in many vintages the total production gets split between family members, friends, and a few local clients. Most of those lucky enough to try this wine have shook hands with the vintners—the same hands that plowed the soil, pruned the vines, and dragged hoses in the cellar.

Aged ten months in French oak, this is a gorgeous statement-wine from a historic plot of land, reflecting the superb balance and fruit-forward concentration of the vintage.