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The Kirkland Signature Sonoma Old Vine Zinfandel 2021 is a 9.99 Costco exclusive made for them by Zach Long Of Kunde Estates.
Zach Long has 20 years of experience as a winemaker with the last 10 of those as the winemaker at Kunde Family Winery and Vintage Wine Estates.
The Kunde Family has farmed this land for 5 generations and 117 harvests.
The Kirkland Signature Sonoma Old Vine Zinfandel 2021 does not claim to come from Kunde vineyards, just the use of their winemaker.
The label says the grapes are sourced from Sonoma County which could be anywhere inside the boundaries.
The back label tells that the vines are 45 years old. There is no official definition of “Old Vines”.
A commercial vineyard typically will keep vines for 25 to 30 years before replanting with new vines. After about 30 years the vines are less productive.
The Zinfandel grape was not always in high demand so the vineyard owner didn’t worry about the yields being reduced with age. The alcohol content is 14.5%.
The Kirkland Signature Sonoma Old Vine Zinfandel Tasting Notes
The color is cherry red with black highlights. The nose is ripe red berries, mocha, and hints of herbs, spice, plum, and raspberry. The Kirkland Signature Sonoma Old Vine Zinfandel 2021 is medium-bodied with a nice mix of smooth and spicy flavors.
This Zinfandel tastes like jammy raspberry, dark chocolate, a little dusty tannin, black pepper, and soothing plum. The mid-palate shows blueberry, sharp spice, herbs, a salty sensation, and tart cranberry.
The acidity is very well managed.
The Summary
- The Kirkland Signature Sonoma Old Vine Zinfandel is an excellent $10 Zinfandel.
- My personal Zinfandel preference is a more “Farm House” style, but the Kirkland is a solid more elegant Zin.
- It has an excellent array of flavors and a solid length and will pair well with beef or pork dishes as well as a tasty sipper.
