Why this wine matters
More than a famous label.
The wine draws primarily from Cline’s oldest, lowest-yielding Contra Costa blocks, some planted in the late 1800s and early 1900s in sandy soils.
Cline Family Cellars · Contra Costa County, California
Ancient Vines Zinfandel
Old-vine Zinfandel · strawberry · cherry · raspberry · mocha · vanilla
Cline Ancient Vines Zinfandel is one of California’s most recognisable old-vine Zinfandels and an excellent commercial anchor for the 366.
Country
USA
Region
Contra Costa County, California
Appellation
California
Grapes
Zinfandel
Style
Red
Realistic spend
£23–£30
Budget band: £20–£35
Best moments
birthdayfathers daybarbecuecasualgift
A very recognisable old-vine Zinfandel for barbecue season, birthdays and Father’s Day.
How it is made
The decisions behind the style.
The focus is on preserving the concentration of old, dry-farmed vines while using oak to add mocha and vanilla rather than turning the wine hard.
What does it taste like?
The shape of the wine.
Strawberry, cherry and raspberry lead into mocha and vanilla, with a ripe, generous palate and soft tannins.
Body5/5
Acidity3/5
Tannin3/5
Sweetness1/5
Oak influence3/5
Freshness3/5
Aroma4/5
Serve it well
Serve around 16–18°C.
If this wine were human…
The big-hearted joker
If Ancient Vines Zinfandel were human, it would be generous, a little mischievous and usually the person still feeding everyone after dessert.
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Does any of this sound suspiciously familiar?
Generous, a little mischievous and usually the person still feeding everyone after dessert. You like a little ceremony, but have no interest in ceremony for its own sake.
At dinner, you would rather have four good conversations than forty introductions. Secretly, you are much more sentimental than your taste in labels would suggest.
In short: generous, a little mischievous and usually the person still feeding everyone after dessert. old-vine zinfandel energy, translated into a person.
Purely for fun — this is the wine’s fictional personality, not a psychological reading of yours.
What to eat with it
And the cheese?
No dead ends.
Start with this wine and move straight into cheese, or build a whole tasting around it.
Keep exploring
There are 365 more wines where this came from.
Research sources
This profile is researched against producer or similarly authoritative material. Vintage-specific details are kept separate from the permanent wine identity.