Although the taste of Cline Cellars' Ancient Vines Zinfadadel is rather complex, it is a very approachable red wine that could be enjoyed even by people who aren't fans of red wines generally or California Zinfadels in particular. Medium-dry with soft tannins, the smooth taste is both a little bit fruity and a little bit peppery. It's not at all harsh, given how strong the alcohol content is.
Color & Clarity
Cline Cellars' Ancient Vines Zinfandel is a deep, dark red. Brilliant highlights appear deep inside the ruby-hued wine.
Nose
Cline's California Zinfandel has mild fruit aromas are accompanied by smoke and spice.
Palate
Although the taste of Cline Cellars' Ancient Vines Zinfandel is rather complex, it is a very approachable red wine that could be enjoyed even by people who aren't fans of red wines generally or California Zinfandels in particular. Medium-dry with soft tannins, the smooth taste is both a little bit fruity and a little bit peppery. It's not at all harsh, given how strong the alcohol content is.
Food Pairing
This Zinfandel doesn't go well with aged Gouda — it produces a very strange taste. Sharp cheddar brings out the spicyness of the Ancient Vines Zinfandel while swiss cheese brings out the smokier flavors. This is a red wine that pairs nicely with most beef dishes as well as tomato-based pasta sauces. Given the complexity of this wine, it's worth trying with a variety of dishes.
Recipes
Cline Cellars' Ancient Vines Zinfandel is too good to use in cooking and should be drunk instead, but if you have leftover wine that you don't feel like finishing it would probably go well in red tomato sauce. I would recommend a recipe where the sauce isn't cooked too long, that way the flavors of this California Zinfandel will be preserved.
Cline Cellars
Cline Cellars was founded only in 1982 by Fred Cline, which is rather young given just how old some of their vines are. Cline Cellars was originally located in Oakely, California, where wine was first produced in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Because of disease and development, only about 600 of these century-old vines remain and Cline Cellars owns 300 of them.
Cline Cellars produces this Zinfandel from vines that range in ages from 80 to 120 years old, all located in Oakely, California. These are some of the oldest grape vines in the United States today and their numbers have dwindled in recent decades.
