Staff Pick

Marietta Old Vines Red, Lot 74 - NV

Name: Marietta Old Vines Red, Lot 74
Brand: Marietta Cellars
SKU: 84084
Price: 17.99 USD
Availability: InStock

Item # 84084 750mL

Marietta's bottlings are consistently high in quality, medium in body, and nicely balanced. This blend of Zinfandel and red Rhône grapes is no exception, showing spicy, dark, gorgeous fruit.

$17.99/ Single Bottle

$215.88 $194.29/ Case of 12

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Color

Red

Vintage

Country

USA

Region

California

Sub-Region

Mendocino

Producer

Marietta Cellars

Grape Variety

Zinfandel

Carignan

Gamay

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Staff Pick Notes

It's still tough to find longstanding traditions in the American wine business, but with a family that includes seven winemakers to date, the Bilbro family is definitely cementing their status in California. Family owned since the late seventies, Marietta Cellars excels at making balanced and easy drinking Zinfandel dominant blends. Scot Bilbro - one of three brothers currently making wine in California (see #34359) - now helms the family's flagship operation. Scot continues the family tradition of this multi-vintage, lot numbered release. Who needs a vintage when the juice is delicious? (That's right. I am looking at you Champagne. XO!) A stylish red field blend made since the 1980s, this does not need a kitschy name to sell. It will certainly surprise doubters who think that California red blends are indistinct, jammy and high in ABV.

- BLR

Glossary

California

California makes more wine than any other state in the United States. Not only does the state grow a variety of noble grape varieties like Pinot Noir, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, there are also plantings of lesser-known varieties such as Nebbiolo, Roussanne and Mourvèdre to name just a few.

Carignan

Grown all over Europe and the Americas, Carignan (a.k.a. Carignane, Carignano, and Cariñena) is seldom seen as a 100% varietal wine. Many appellations of Languedoc-Roussillon must include a certain percentage of Carignan, but it is rarely the dominant grape in these blends. For years, this naturally high-yielding grape suffered from overproduction, but New World winemakers have lately taken up the Carignan cause and produced some distinctive and delicious examples. Now that it is subject to...

Zinfandel

Zinfandel is widely thought of as “America’s grape,” but in fact the variety is of Croatian origin, and is genetically extremely similar to Italian Primitivo, which thrives in the warmest parts of southern Italy. Like Primitivo, Zinfandel requires warm but not hot growing conditions, as its skins are relatively thin: this can cause its berries to shrivel into raisins if left on the vine a little too long. Dry and well-drained terroirs are also preferable for Zinfandel, as its bunches are...