Sineann Old Vine Zinfandel 2010

This is a dark, aromatic wine from the Pines Vineyard in the Columbia Valley. The mouthfeel is huge and the finish is long. The winery contends that if you didn't believe in the value of OLD VINES before, this wine will convince you otherwise.

2009 Vintage Tasting Notes

Like the old Batman cartoons...Ka-Pow! Intense blackberry and raspberry jam gains liveliness from a fresh raspberry streak. This is so much more than a fruit bomb, with nice structure, bramble and mint accents adding to its massive nature. From 100 year-old vines in the Columbia Valley, this Old Vine Zin drop kicks the competition.

Avalon Friend Tiffany Stevens
on Sineann's Old Vine Zinfandel, anticipating summer...

The sun came back to town one Saturday in April, after an endless, rainy winter. Not just a glimpse, but 70 degrees of warmth with no jacket required. Reacquainting myself with the weeds and dead tree branches out back had never felt more exhilarating. It was time for the world to come out of hibernation; spring had arrived. I secretly began planning a "Welcome Back" celebration.

Later that week, the weather was clearly not cooperating. I was unfazed and thought what better way to defy the lingering storm clouds than by throwing steaks on the grill. A mélange of brightly colored fresh fruit and vegetables came along for the ride. I needed a wine that was up to the task. The Sineann Old Vine Zinfandel seemed a perfect match for celebrating the post-hibernation return of the sun.

I prepared red bell peppers, black beans and shallots for the couscous. The organic greens were dotted with bright red raspberries, feta and sliced red onion. I opened the wine to let it decant a bit. I was bowled over by the dense fusion of aromas swirling out of the decanter: black cherry, blackberry with a hint of plum and pepper. Confirmed. This wine was meant to lead the march. Warm spice flavors and a hint of vanilla complemented the dark fruit.

With the steaks on the grill, I washed strawberries and finished dinner preparations, sneaking sips of wine along the way. Our spring feast was finally on the table. Grilled steak, savory shallot and black bean couscous flavors all paired seamlessly with the Zinfandel. More savory notes began developing, tomatillo, even mild green chile and tobacco. No doubt the rich fruit and savory zip of this Old Vine Zinfandel will play a future part in my summer barbecue plans.

- Tiffany Stevens

"Our flagship wine. It is the oldest producing vineyard in the Pacific Northwest at nearly 100 years. Every year it makes either the best wine we put out or very close to it." - the winery

2007 Vintage Tasting Notes

The 2007 Old Vine Zinfandel adds complexity and structure to its trademark intensity. Combining the Old Vine Zinfandel's usual lushly massive flavors with the 2007 vintage's beautiful balance and moderate alcohol levels, Peter Rosback serves up a wine both huge and nuanced.

2007 is turning out to be a vintage capable of showing structure and complexity without sacrificing richness. The Old Vine Zinfandel's luscious, rich and velvety qualities are even better with the addition of a bit of a double spin. The 2007 Sineann Old Vine Zinfandel enters your mouth like plush velvet. Huge toasted espresso bean and cocoa flavors combine with mysterious layers of dark jammy sweet berries - raspberry, blackberry, black currant, black cherry, and black plum. All are followed by a finish that just takes over! Layers and layers of fruit hit your nose and palate with incredible depth. As always, it’s very aromatic with black fruit, spice notes, a little cedar and a touch of leather dancing in the background. Zinfandel from Oregon may be unusual and this wine defies the norm every year. Peter Rosback is known for his over-the-top rich, dense, monster style reds, and this is always his biggest wine of the vintage, the flagship wine for Sineann. The 2007 is our favorite of the lat five vintages - hitting the perfect sweet spot between high alcohol fruit bomb and lean, cool vintage lightness. Made from a tiny vineyard in The Dalles, the vines are nearly 100 years old and come from the oldest producing vineyard in the Pacific Northwest.

Winemaker Peter Rosback describes the 2007 Old Vine Zinfandel: "Our flagship wine. It is the oldest producing vineyard in the Pacific Northwest at nearly 100 years. Every year it makes either the best wine we put out or very close to it. In 2007 we picked at 25+ Brix, cropping at under two tons per acre. The wine is dark and immensely concentrated. To those who wonder if Zinfandel can be ripened outside of California, we offer this example. Not only does Zinfandel ripen on this old vineyard, it maintains balancing acidity to produce a wine that ages beautifully."

From tree-trunk like 100 year-old vines in Lonnie Wright's Pines Vineyard, near the Dalles (Oregon).

Winemaker Peter Rosback describes his most popular wine: "Our flagship wine. It is the oldest producing vineyard in the Pacific Northwest at nearly 100 years old. Every year it makes either the best wine we put out or very close to it. In 2007 we picked at 25+ Brix, cropping at under two tons per acre. The wine is dark and immensely concentrated. To those who wonder if Zinfandel can be ripened outside of California, we offer this example. Not only does Zinfandel ripen on this old vineyard, it maintains balancing acidity to produce a wine that ages beautifully."

There's not much Zinfandel planted in the NW, and Lonnie Wright's "The Pines" Vineyard is definitely the source of the best. Part of the vineyard is relatively new (and Sineann makes a "Pines" Zinfandel from it) but the mother load is the part of the vineyard that's about 100 years old, planted by Lonnie's family and miraculously still producing fruit. Peter Rosback makes his Old Vine Zinfandel from this oldest part of the vineyard. Sineann makes a small amount of this wine under the "The Pines 1872" label each year.

2006 Vintage Tasting Notes

Cult wine- made from 100 year old vines in a tiny vineyard in The Dalles, this wine sells out in a day or two each year. It's almost black in color. Layers and layers of fruit hit your nose and palate with incredible depth. Dark cherry and raspberry jam simply ooze from this wine. As always, it's very aromatic with nice spicy notes, a little cedar and a touch of leather dancing in the background. If it was from CA it'd be twice this price.

Layers and layers of fruit hit your nose and palate with incredible depth. Dark cherry and raspberry jam simply ooze from this wine. As always, it's very aromatic with nice spicy notes, a little cedar and a touch of leather dancing in the background.

This wine is surprisingly smooth given it's higher alcohol content. The juicy fruit floods your mouth with Zinfandel flavors that are both subtle and bold at the same time. As cult wines go, this one defines the term. -ms

2005 Vintage Tasting Notes

Huge, gorgeous, from 120 year old vines on the Oregon side of the Columbia Gorge. Sineann's most popular, very limited wine. Great aromas, intensely flavored, with a deep, wild, gamey, dark streak that makes the wine something special. highly recommended.

Made from 100 year old vines, this wine is one of Peter's most popular, and is in relatively good supply this year. A huge, massive, gushingly intense zinfandel.