Bedrock Old Vine Zinfandel

Bedrock Old Vine Zinfandel is a Sonoma County red blend anchored by Zinfandel from vines averaging 80+ years old, bottled at 14.5% ABV in a standard 750ml format. Awarded 93 points by Wine Spectator, this field-blend bottling draws on some of California's most storied vineyard material to deliver a wine that balances richness with notable restraint and complexity.

Quick Facts: ABV: 14.5%  |  Origin: Sonoma County, California  |  Old Vine Field Blend  |  Producer: Bedrock Wine Company

Production & Heritage

Bedrock Wine Company was founded by Morgan Twain-Peterson, who grew up at his father's Ravenswood Winery and developed a deep commitment to preserving California's heritage vineyards. The Old Vine Zinfandel is a field blend composed of 76% Zinfandel alongside 11% Carignan, 5% Petite Sirah, 4% Grenache, 3% Cinsault, and 1% assorted mixed varieties — a composition that reflects the interplanted diversity of these ancient vineyard blocks. Fermentation relies almost entirely on indigenous yeasts, and aging takes place in a combination of 600-gallon foudres, puncheons, and barriques with only about 8% new oak, a regime designed to let fruit and terroir speak ahead of cooperage influence.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: The nose opens with ripe raspberry and cherry, layered with rose petal and white pepper spice. Deeper in the glass, dried garrigue herbs, orange peel, and a subtle briar quality emerge.

Taste: On entry, bright cranberry and red plum acidity frames the palate before darker blackberry and cherry flavors build through the mid-palate. Cinnamon, savory pepper, and hints of sage develop as the wine opens, giving it a structured, multi-dimensional quality uncommon at this level.

Finish: The finish is medium-long with supple tannins, trailing notes of dried herbs, and a lingering peppery warmth. The large-format aging shows here — the oak recedes entirely, leaving pure fruit and spice.

How to Drink Bedrock Old Vine Zin

This wine shines at cellar temperature (60–65°F) in a large-bowled glass; a brief 30-minute decant helps the aromatic layers unfold fully. Its balance of fruit intensity and savory structure also makes it a strong candidate for food-forward pairings: try it alongside grilled lamb chops where the garrigue notes mirror herbed marinades, with smoked baby back ribs whose char and sweetness complement the wine's briar and berry profile, or paired with mushroom and sausage pizza where the Petite Sirah backbone provides enough grip to stand up to rich toppings.

Best For

• Weekend grilling sessions centered around charcoal-smoked meats
• Introducing a wine enthusiast to heritage California Zinfandel
• Pairing with rustic Italian or Southern Mediterranean cooking
• Gifting to someone who values vineyard provenance over brand prestige

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Bedrock Old Vine Zin taste like? It delivers ripe raspberry and cherry layered with white pepper, garrigue herbs, and cinnamon, framed by bright acidity and supple tannins rather than heavy extraction.

How does Bedrock Old Vine Zin compare to Turley Old Vine Zinfandel? Both source from heritage California vineyards, but Bedrock tends toward a more restrained, savory-driven style with lower new-oak influence, while Turley typically leans richer and more fruit-forward with bolder extraction.

Is Bedrock Old Vine Zin good for sipping on its own? Absolutely — its balanced acidity, layered aromatics, and moderate tannin structure make it an engaging wine to drink without food, especially after a brief decant.

Where is Bedrock Old Vine Zin made? Bedrock Wine Company is based in Sonoma County, California, and sources fruit for this bottling from multiple heritage vineyard sites across the region, many with vines averaging over 80 years old.

What foods pair well with Bedrock Old Vine Zin? Grilled lamb seasoned with rosemary and garlic mirrors its herbal notes; smoked brisket complements its briar and pepper character; aged cheddar or Manchego plays off its fruit intensity; wood-fired pizza with sausage and fennel matches its savory depth; and roasted eggplant dishes echo the wine's earthy undertones.

What sizes does Bedrock Old Vine Zin come in? The standard release is available in a 750ml bottle.

Is Bedrock Old Vine Zin worth the price? Positioned as a mid-premium California Zinfandel, it punches well above its tier — a 93-point Wine Spectator rating and 92–93 from Jeb Dunnuck place it in the company of wines that often cost considerably more.

Why Bedrock Old Vine Zin?

What separates this bottling from the broader Zinfandel field is its source material: vines averaging more than 80 years old, interplanted with Carignan, Petite Sirah, Grenache, and Cinsault in the traditional California field-blend style that predates modern monoculture viticulture. The indigenous-yeast fermentation and minimal new oak regime (roughly 8%) let those old vines express site character rather than winemaker imposition, a philosophy that has earned consistent critical praise across Wine Spectator (93 pts), Jeb Dunnuck (92–93 pts), and Decanter (92 pts). In a category often defined by overripe, heavily oaked caricatures, Bedrock's Old Vine Zinfandel stands as a credible argument for what the grape can achieve when vineyard heritage and winemaking restraint align.