When our country decides something, we go after it 110%. Take, for example, Prohibition. Pretty much a horrible idea, but our country just jumped on that, right? And then, ten minutes after it passed, we all jumped on the idea that the speakeasy was pretty cool, and that’s how we got gangsters, and the Roaring Twenties, and the Kennedy family, and most Hollywood "actresses." And today, Prohibition is just something we kinda shake our heads at while drinking our wine.
For the nice folks at Meeks Hilltop Ranch, however, Prohibition is more than just a historical curiosity. The Meeks Hilltop Ranch is built on the site of a pre-Prohibition winery, and the placard’s still hanging above the old cellar door. It’s a winery that’s very much a part of today, but also knows how to look back at the past. That kind of history just adds to each bottle in this 2009 Zinfandel four pack.
Blackberry fruit? Check. Hints of cherry and raspberry? Check. Smooth and full texture with flavors that echo the aroma? Check, check, check and check. You won’t need to wait for the long and smooth finish to make the call: this is a Zinfandel for sure. And one that respects history while refusing to rest on its laurels.
The Meeks Hilltop Ranch 2009 Zinfandel is what you get when you throw all your passions into winemaking. Maybe it’s this kind of taste that finally beat back the Eighteenth Amendment. Shame we lost those speakeasies, though. Who doesn’t love a secret door?
2009 Zinfandel, Meeks Hilltop Ranch, Sonoma Valley 750ml 4-Pack
George and Abby Meeks purchased the historic Hilltop Ranch twenty years ago. The ranch had been the site of a pre-Prohibition winery, and still had a small block of ancient vines (a field blend) and a block of Chardonnay that was planted in the 1960’s.
Concentrated blackberry fruit with hints of cherry and raspberry and hints of black pepper. The entry is smooth and full, and the flavors echo the aromas, with the addition of a hint of dark chocolate. The finish is long and smooth.
Wellington Vineyards is owned Peter Wellington. Peter's father John purchased the winery site in 1986. At the time, it consisted of 20 acres of old vines and a few decrepit old fruit and nut trees. Replanting of part of the old vineyard and orchard started in 1988. The winery was completed in time for the 1989 crush. We grow approximately half the grapes we use and purchase the remainder, primarily from small, unique vineyards.
The estate vineyards consist of 21 acres, 8 of which are 85 to 117 years old. There are 24 different varieties in the old vineyard, with the most common being Zinfandel, Carignan, Alicante Bouschet, Grenache and Syrah. In addition, there are 10 acres of eleven to sixteen year old vines that consist of Merlot, Chardonnay, Marsanne, and Syrah. We grow more Merlot than anything else. Three more acres were replanted in 2001, predominantly to Syrah, Zinfandel and Grenache.
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