Abounding with an array of black currants, fig jam, and ripe plums, this brambly Zinfandel is a delight to the senses. Cinnamon and sweet tobacco are woven together with an undelaying essence of white pepper and wood spice. Silky, well-balanced tannins support the mid-palate, while a refreshing lift of bright acidity completes the package.
Vineyard Notes
Originally settled by an Italian family in the late 1800âs, Grist Vineyard is now owned by Sonoma Countyâs Hambrecht family This Dry Creek Valley property is on the northwestern slope of Bradford Mountain at an elevation of 1,000 feet. The volcanic, red soils- Boomer loam and Stonyford loam - are reminiscent of Tuscanyâs terra rosa. We source Zinfandel fruit from 30 of the 51 total acres, which were planted in 1974. Though there is some debate, the zinfandel vines are thought to be from the âmotherâ blocks planted in 1900, the Hambrect/Mead Atlas Peak clones.
Our story begins in the Russian River Valley, where Gary Farrell made his first wines on handshake deals with the regionâs iconic growers - Rochioli, Allen, Bacigalupi - who captured the wonders of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Today, our odyssey is no different. We begin and end in the vineyard, searching for the exceptional and sharing that with you.
We believe that great wine begins in the vineyard. Thatâs why we partner with some of the most iconic and esteemed growers in the area, sourcing grapes from premier vineyards to create wines of unparalleled quality and complexity.
Our dedication to excellence extends beyond the bottle. We believe that the true essence of wine lies in the stories it tells and the experiences it creates. We invite you to join us on a journey through our single vineyard and appellation wines; where every sip is an opportunity to immerse yourself in the beauty and flavor of the Russian River Valley.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Happy New Year, and a good evening/good morning to you all, depending on when you are reading this!
I received a most-welcomed email from Alice, stating that âWine is coming your way!â Who wouldnât smile/dance/do cartwheels (depending on age!) over words like that?
Sure enough, the next day the âman in brownâ shows up, with the aforementioned bottle, ready to be rested, opened, analyzed, enjoyed, and reviewed, in that order. Which brings me to this pointâŠ. now!
2019 Gary Farrell Zinfandel
Now, I love Zinfandel, and its Italian root Primitivo, with all the versatility and breadth of offerings. So, I was excited to dive into this one.
Normally, I donât put a lot of stock into bottle design/color, foil cap, and label, but this time I was impressed! Classic label, classy font and lettering, minimalist but striking color combination â navy blue and gold. Appellation is Dry Creek Valley, and vineyard specific â Grist. Alcohol ACV is 14.5% - lower midstream for this varietal, in my humble experience. All this put together, and Iâm thinking an elegant Zinfandel is in my hands. Maybe aesthetics does influence the reception!??
Pop and pour: the cork is tight â firm, fine granular composition. Appropriate stain on the end, no streaking or infiltration.
Color:
The picture says it all â or rather, it appears here darker than actual. Itâs not a dark, inky offering, just a well-balanced presentation. Itâs not transparent, nor cloudy, nor opaque. My suspicions are being validated so far.
On the nose: subdued. No fruit bomb here, not even fruit forward; again, nicely balanced. Fruit essence is certainly there, I pick up currant and plum, with some spice and a little zip â a touch a cinnamon and other spice, possibly.
Palate: Confirms the nose in every aspect. Soft fruit dancing, not stomping, on the tongue, spice and white pepper playing around the edges, and a slightly tart surprise at the end, leading to theâŠâŠ
Finish: smooth jazz is playingâŠ. The tannins are âŠ. balanced! (Have I used that word before?) Itâs smooth, light, delightful, and just a bit of zip to finish the adventure.
Food pairing: Pizza, barbeque, grilled pork (my way!) â normally I would grab the boldest Zinfandel I could find in the cellar. HoweverâŠ. it got cooooold here in NC, so a hearty beef soup was on the menu. So why not this? The DW does not make a wimpy soup, and I was interested to see how this would pair. Answer: delightful! I knew the wine would not be too heavy, but was slightly afraid the soup would overpower the wine. It did not! It held its own and was a fine compliment to the main course.
Iâm very impressed with this offering â my perception of âan elegant Zinfandelâ was confirmed: classy, balanced, no overload of fruit or texture. Day 2 experience showed no change, but day 3 started to slide a little (IMHO), despite a vacuum seal stopper. Not undrinkable by any means, but who keeps wine around for 3 days???
Snooping around, I see that it gets a 93 from Wine Enthusiast, which I would heartily agree with.
Enjoy! Cheers!!
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
2019 Gary Farrell Grist Vineyard Zinfandel - $45 = 12.49%
Ok, Iâm tired of all of this 2024 year in review cr*p, letâs go forward to something with meaning, a wine review! (from 2023 so maybe not so forward after allâŠ)
That 93 points from WE:
This super-attractive Zinfandel from a Pinot Noir producer has a bright, tangy quality that will pair especially well with Italian tomato-based dishes. Raspberries, dried cherries and a light earthy, brambly quality make it interesting to savor. â Jim Gordon 12/31/23
Spectator sipped:
90 points. Tightly wound but appealing for the wild berry, roasted anise and green peppercorn flavors, which build tension toward broad-shouldered tannins. Best from 2025 through 2030. 456 cases made. Tim Fish 11/30/23
Thank you thank you Alice for letting me Lab Rat this wonderful bottle of Gary Farrellâs 2019 Zinfandel! I had his Pinot Noir over the holidays and that was fabulous. So when the Zinfandel arrived, I knew it was going to be something special.
We opened Gary Farrellâs 2019 Dry Creek Valley Grist Vineyard Zinfandel and it was a beautiful garnet red color. The aroma was of raspberry and cherry with some oak as well and on the younger side. Took a sip and had a bit of a tang with medium tannins. My husband and I decided to let it breath for about an hour while we made dinner.
Wow, what a difference an hour made for this Zinfandel!! It was so smooth, light and earthy!! We had it with some cheese/crackers and we had paired with a pistachio encrusted chicken that evening, but would have been great with flank steak or seafood. Finished the bottle that evening, washing down our slice chocolate chip banana breadâŠYUMMY! In LOVE with this one!
Grab this bottle while you can! Gary Farrell succeeds again!!
Randomly was on Amex Offers page and interestingly enough, if you love their wines and want to explore more of them, thereâs also an AMEX offer (targeted) that expires on 15 Jan for spend $400 get $100 back from Gary Farrell winery online or instore.
@Ten9Eight No idea about this - but based on the rat reports it should keep at least a decade. If you can find some 2019 Bordeaux still it was apparently a great year and weâve got a lot for that kid.
@Ten9Eight As it happens, we just enjoyed a bottle of Gary Farrell 2012 Pinot Noir last night with dinner consisting of baked salmon with a horseradish crust, orzo tossed with Romano cheese, and steamed broccoli. The wine was sensational, and Iâd say it would probably have held for a few more years. Granted, that doesnât tell you much about the Zinfandelâs age-worthiness, but our experience with well-made Zins is that they hold up really well, typically far beyond what the âexpertsâ recommend.
And Gary Farrell, in our experience, doesnât do anything but well-made. Hope that helps.
@klezman I went to the wine store and figured I would ask someone there. He recommended a Petrus, but said any first-growth would she beautifully. It was a little bit out of my price range.
@Ten9Eight Yeah, you need to find a better wine store. If they donât have any 2019 Bdx remaining then fine, but directing you to a Petrus is borderline dismissive and assholic unless you said you were looking for wine that expensive.
What about something like: https://shop.klwines.com/products/details/1701261
2019 Gary Farrell Grist Vineyard Zinfandel
93 pointsâBest of the Year ~ Wine Enthusiast
Tasting Notes
Vineyard Notes
Specs
Whatâs Included
3-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
$660.00/Case for 12x 2019 Gary Farrell Grist Vineyard Zinfandel at Gary Farrell Winery
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Jan 27 - Tuesday, Jan 28
2019 Gary Farrell Grist Vineyard Zinfandel
3 bottles for $89.99 $30/bottle + $2.67/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $314.99 $26.25/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
Happy New Year, and a good evening/good morning to you all, depending on when you are reading this!
I received a most-welcomed email from Alice, stating that âWine is coming your way!â Who wouldnât smile/dance/do cartwheels (depending on age!) over words like that?
Sure enough, the next day the âman in brownâ shows up, with the aforementioned bottle, ready to be rested, opened, analyzed, enjoyed, and reviewed, in that order. Which brings me to this pointâŠ. now!
2019 Gary Farrell Zinfandel
Now, I love Zinfandel, and its Italian root Primitivo, with all the versatility and breadth of offerings. So, I was excited to dive into this one.
Normally, I donât put a lot of stock into bottle design/color, foil cap, and label, but this time I was impressed! Classic label, classy font and lettering, minimalist but striking color combination â navy blue and gold. Appellation is Dry Creek Valley, and vineyard specific â Grist. Alcohol ACV is 14.5% - lower midstream for this varietal, in my humble experience. All this put together, and Iâm thinking an elegant Zinfandel is in my hands. Maybe aesthetics does influence the reception!??
Pop and pour: the cork is tight â firm, fine granular composition. Appropriate stain on the end, no streaking or infiltration.
Color:
The picture says it all â or rather, it appears here darker than actual. Itâs not a dark, inky offering, just a well-balanced presentation. Itâs not transparent, nor cloudy, nor opaque. My suspicions are being validated so far.
On the nose: subdued. No fruit bomb here, not even fruit forward; again, nicely balanced. Fruit essence is certainly there, I pick up currant and plum, with some spice and a little zip â a touch a cinnamon and other spice, possibly.
Palate: Confirms the nose in every aspect. Soft fruit dancing, not stomping, on the tongue, spice and white pepper playing around the edges, and a slightly tart surprise at the end, leading to theâŠâŠ
Finish: smooth jazz is playingâŠ. The tannins are âŠ. balanced! (Have I used that word before?) Itâs smooth, light, delightful, and just a bit of zip to finish the adventure.
Food pairing: Pizza, barbeque, grilled pork (my way!) â normally I would grab the boldest Zinfandel I could find in the cellar. HoweverâŠ. it got cooooold here in NC, so a hearty beef soup was on the menu. So why not this? The DW does not make a wimpy soup, and I was interested to see how this would pair. Answer: delightful! I knew the wine would not be too heavy, but was slightly afraid the soup would overpower the wine. It did not! It held its own and was a fine compliment to the main course.
Iâm very impressed with this offering â my perception of âan elegant Zinfandelâ was confirmed: classy, balanced, no overload of fruit or texture. Day 2 experience showed no change, but day 3 started to slide a little (IMHO), despite a vacuum seal stopper. Not undrinkable by any means, but who keeps wine around for 3 days???
Snooping around, I see that it gets a 93 from Wine Enthusiast, which I would heartily agree with.
Enjoy! Cheers!!
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
2019 Gary Farrell Grist Vineyard Zinfandel - $45 = 12.49%
Ok, Iâm tired of all of this 2024 year in review cr*p, letâs go forward to something with meaning, a wine review! (from 2023 so maybe not so forward after allâŠ)
That 93 points from WE:
This super-attractive Zinfandel from a Pinot Noir producer has a bright, tangy quality that will pair especially well with Italian tomato-based dishes. Raspberries, dried cherries and a light earthy, brambly quality make it interesting to savor. â Jim Gordon 12/31/23
Spectator sipped:
90 points. Tightly wound but appealing for the wild berry, roasted anise and green peppercorn flavors, which build tension toward broad-shouldered tannins. Best from 2025 through 2030. 456 cases made. Tim Fish 11/30/23
fwiw
I like the Gary Farrell Pinot Noir and I love Zins, so this seems like the perfect scenario for me to grab a 3 pack. Iâm in.
@user33071884 absolutely
I want this. But 2025 is supposed to be the year of restraint.
@klezman It is?
@klezman Iâm getting three, unless others want to help split a case.
Thank you thank you Alice for letting me Lab Rat this wonderful bottle of Gary Farrellâs 2019 Zinfandel! I had his Pinot Noir over the holidays and that was fabulous. So when the Zinfandel arrived, I knew it was going to be something special.
We opened Gary Farrellâs 2019 Dry Creek Valley Grist Vineyard Zinfandel and it was a beautiful garnet red color. The aroma was of raspberry and cherry with some oak as well and on the younger side. Took a sip and had a bit of a tang with medium tannins. My husband and I decided to let it breath for about an hour while we made dinner.
Wow, what a difference an hour made for this Zinfandel!! It was so smooth, light and earthy!! We had it with some cheese/crackers and we had paired with a pistachio encrusted chicken that evening, but would have been great with flank steak or seafood. Finished the bottle that evening, washing down our slice chocolate chip banana breadâŠYUMMY! In LOVE with this one!
Grab this bottle while you can! Gary Farrell succeeds again!!
@fox_y_vino let it breathe, not breath
@ddeuddeg funny how the computer auto corrects. When one breathes, itâs always good to take a deep breath and then take a sip of that fabulous Zin!!
@ddeuddeg @fox_y_vino
/giphy wilted-unexpected-crocodile
Randomly was on Amex Offers page and interestingly enough, if you love their wines and want to explore more of them, thereâs also an AMEX offer (targeted) that expires on 15 Jan for spend $400 get $100 back from Gary Farrell winery online or instore.
Anyone interested in sharing case - Boston.So. NH area?
If I wanted to buy a case of wine to store/share with my child born in 2019, would this be a good one?(Will it keep, basically?)
@Ten9Eight No idea about this - but based on the rat reports it should keep at least a decade. If you can find some 2019 Bordeaux still it was apparently a great year and weâve got a lot for that kid.
@Ten9Eight As it happens, we just enjoyed a bottle of Gary Farrell 2012 Pinot Noir last night with dinner consisting of baked salmon with a horseradish crust, orzo tossed with Romano cheese, and steamed broccoli. The wine was sensational, and Iâd say it would probably have held for a few more years. Granted, that doesnât tell you much about the Zinfandelâs age-worthiness, but our experience with well-made Zins is that they hold up really well, typically far beyond what the âexpertsâ recommend.
And Gary Farrell, in our experience, doesnât do anything but well-made. Hope that helps.
@klezman I went to the wine store and figured I would ask someone there. He recommended a Petrus, but said any first-growth would she beautifully. It was a little bit out of my price range.
@Ten9Eight Yeah, you need to find a better wine store. If they donât have any 2019 Bdx remaining then fine, but directing you to a Petrus is borderline dismissive and assholic unless you said you were looking for wine that expensive.
What about something like: https://shop.klwines.com/products/details/1701261
We love Dry Creek Zins! We love Gary Farrell pinots. The rats enjoyed the wine. In for a case!
/giphy caring-daunting-radish
