Steele Wines Old Vine Pacini Zinfandel

Steele Wines Old Vine Pacini Zinfandel is an old-vine Zinfandel from the Pacini Vineyard in Mendocino County, California, in a 750ml bottle. Made by Jed Steele, one of the most influential winemakers in California's North Coast, it draws on gnarled, dry-farmed vines planted decades ago to deliver bright red fruit, pepper and spice in a classic, balanced Zinfandel style.

Quick Facts: Origin: Pacini Vineyard, Mendocino County, California, USA | Varietal: Zinfandel | Style: Dry Red Wine, Old Vine | Producer: Steele Wines

Production & Heritage

Jed Steele began his career at Edmeades in Mendocino in the 1970s, then built his reputation as the founding winemaker of Kendall-Jackson, where he shaped the house style that made the brand a national success. In 1991 he left to start Steele Wines in Kelseyville, Lake County, focusing on single-vineyard wines from small growers across the North Coast. The Pacini Vineyard in Mendocino County's Redwood Valley is one of his longest-running sources: a head-trained, dry-farmed Zinfandel planted in the mid-twentieth century on gravelly soils, farmed by the Pacini family for generations. Old vines produce small crops of intensely flavored fruit, and Steele handles them with restraint, fermenting in open-top tanks, pressing gently and aging in mostly neutral oak so the vineyard character shows through. The result is a Zinfandel in the traditional Mendocino mold: fragrant, spicy and food friendly rather than jammy and high in alcohol.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Raspberry, red cherry and boysenberry, with black pepper, dried herbs, cinnamon and a hint of briar and vanilla.

Taste: Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, showing bright brambly fruit, peppery spice and a savory earthy note. The tannins are supple and the fruit is ripe without being heavy or sweet.

Finish: Medium to long, spicy and fresh, with lingering red berry, pepper and a touch of toasted oak.

How to Drink Steele Pacini Zinfandel

Serve Steele Pacini Zinfandel at around 60 to 64 degrees Fahrenheit in a medium red wine glass; a short decant helps if it is young. It is a natural with American comfort food: barbecue pulled pork or ribs, grilled sausages and peppers and pizza with pepperoni and mushrooms. It also pairs well with Thanksgiving turkey and cranberry, and with aged Gouda or sharp cheddar.

Best For

• Barbecue, burgers and pizza nights
• Thanksgiving and holiday tables
• Zinfandel lovers who prefer balance over jammy power
• Fans of California wine history and single-vineyard bottlings

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Steele Pacini Zinfandel taste like? It tastes of raspberry, red cherry and boysenberry with black pepper, dried herbs and cinnamon, in a medium to full-bodied style with bright acidity, supple tannins and a spicy, fresh finish.

How does Steele Pacini Zinfandel compare to a Lodi Zinfandel? Lodi Zinfandels are generally riper, richer and higher in alcohol, with jammy dark fruit. The Pacini Vineyard in cooler Mendocino gives a brighter, more peppery, red-fruited wine with better acidity and a more savory character.

Is Steele Pacini Zinfandel good for aging? It drinks well on release and will hold for five to seven years, gaining dried-fruit and spice complexity, though most people enjoy Zinfandel in its youthful, fruity phase.

Where is Steele Pacini Zinfandel made? The grapes come from the Pacini Vineyard in Mendocino County's Redwood Valley, and the wine is made by Steele Wines at its winery in Kelseyville, Lake County, California.

What foods pair well with Steele Pacini Zinfandel? Barbecue ribs, pulled pork, grilled sausages, burgers, pepperoni pizza, roast turkey, lamb with herbs, aged Gouda and sharp cheddar all pair well with its spicy red fruit.

What sizes does Steele Pacini Zinfandel come in? This listing is the standard 750ml bottle.

Is Steele Pacini Zinfandel worth the price? Single-vineyard old-vine Zinfandel from a winemaker of Jed Steele's stature is rarely this affordable, and the wine delivers the complexity and balance of bottlings that cost considerably more.

Why Steele Pacini Zinfandel?

Steele Wines Old Vine Pacini Zinfandel is Zinfandel the way Mendocino has always made it: fragrant, peppery, bright and built for the table. Jed Steele's decades of experience and light touch let the old, dry-farmed Pacini vines speak, and the result is a wine with real character and no excess. It belongs next to barbecue, pizza and the Thanksgiving bird, it rewards a few years in the cellar, and it carries the name of one of California's most important winemakers. For honest, balanced Zinfandel at a fair price, it is hard to beat.