Wine Last Sold on: October 2, 2012
Bradford Mountain Winery
Featured Wine:
2011 Bradford Mountain Red Field Blend
| Varietal: | Red Blend |
| Vineyard: | Bradford Mountain |
| Region: | California: Dry Creek Valley (Sonoma) |
| Exclusive Allocation: | Very Limited |
| Avg. Price: | $24.00 |
| Wine Spies: | $18.99 |
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SUPER QPR ALERT:
At today’s special Wine Spies price, this wine delivers tremendous value - and a drinking experience that exceeds expectations, easily earning it this special QPR (Quality to Price Ratio) Alert.
Mission Codename: 15 Mile
- Operative
- Agent Red
- Objective
- Before the wine goes public, send Agent Red to back to Bradford Mountain Winery to secure an ample allocation of their stellar 2011 Red Field Blend.
- Mission Status
- Accomplished!
- Winemaker
- Virginia Marie Lambrix
Final Assessment
Another outstanding achievement from our friends at Bradford Mountain Winery, today’s delicious 2011 Red Field Blend gets our highest recommendation! Don’t let the low price of the wine fool you, dear Operative, today’s wine delivers value well above its asking price.
Aromatic, delicious and loaded with juicy, dark fruits, it really impressed our entire tasting panel. Youthful and bright, this wine is drinking beautifully right now. We can’t help but think that it will only continue to improve - so we’re recommending that you stock up.
Pair this flexible, food-fantastic wine with just about anything. We enjoyed our sample bottles with a cheesy baked ziti, with plenty of marinara sauce and red chili flakes.
Tasting Profile
Deep purple hues at the core, with concentrated color right out to the fine ruby edge of the wine. Swirl the wine and watch as wave upon wave of skinny, wine-colored legs move slowly down the glass.
Multi-layered, with sweet blackberry, spiced black cherry, blueberry and bramble that meld with sweet spice, dark tobacco leaf, burnt caramel, wild strawberry, cocoa dust, black pepper. At the tail end, subtle hints of anise and lavender make a lovely appearance.
Soft and round, right from the start. Then, the wine becomes softly grippy at the mid-palate, gradually forming a softly chewy feel that emanates outward, spreading a soft, flinty dryness as it grows. Lively acidity contributes to the well-balanced overall feel of the wine.
Dark, juicy and loaded with ripe fruit, this delicious wine leads with ripe blackberry, black cherry, wild strawberry juice, cranberry and sweet dried cherry. As the wine breathes, it opens up to reveal follow-on flavors of dark chocolate, sweet spice, dark tobacco leaf, dried violets and a hint of dried lavender.
Very long, juicy and loaded with long-sustaining flavors. As dark, ripe fruits fade, they leave the mouth with a softly chewy coating, with dried red and black fruit, spice, pepper and dark dried flower petals.
What the Winery Says
Tasting Notes
Lavender. Baking Spice. Rhubarb Pie. Leather. Boysenberry. Blackberry Jam. Molasses. Plums. Chocolate.
Varietal Makeup
64% Syrah, 25% Zinfandel, 11% Petite Sirah
Appellation
Dry Creek Valley
Alcohol
14.7%
About the Winery
Bradford Mountain is the tallest of the hills making up the coastal range bordering the west side of the Dry Creek Valley in northern Sonoma County. From the top, the Pacific Ocean is a mere 15 miles to the west, and in between, there is nothing but forested hills, the home of countless deer, mountain lions, and wild pigs. Just south of the summit lies a swale that was planted to zinfandel nearly 100 years ago and, as the site of an old gristmill, has been known as the Grist Vineyard for some years. At harvest time, the story among the vineyard workers is that they know the fruit is ripe when the indigenous picking crew (the wild pigs) arrives. Chasing the wild pigs out of the vineyard to get the real crew in is always exciting.
The Dry Creek Valley has long been known for producing zinfandels of both great elegance and power. It is here that the raspberry flavors in the variety step to the fore. Because of the climate, the vines tend to ripen evenly, producing wines with concentration but without weight. Fruit from the hills surrounding the valley offers the same palate, with the addition of greater depth of flavor and a bit more spice. There is not much land suitable for planting in this stretch of mountains, and the Grist Vineyard has long been sought for its fruit.
George Hambrecht started the Bradford Mountain label just out of college, in the late ’90s. Today the Hambrecht family continues its ownership of the vineyard land.
