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B-21 Top Recommendation
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The Hartford Family's roots in Sonoma's Russian River Valley are second to none, and they farm some of the Golden State's most prized plots of old-vine Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay. Their reference-point range runs the gamut from incredible single-vineyard expressions to some of the greatest bang-for-the-buck values in the appellation.
The 2023 Russian River Pinot Noir delivers everything that long-time fans of the estate are looking for. Pure Pinot Noir charm is on full display in vibrant, ripe fruit, silky texture, and, most importantly, superb balance, all at an easy price that makes this undisputed crowd-pleaser accessible to a broad audience. The 2023 Russian River Chardonnay is "a worthy follow-up to the brilliant 2022," displaying classic, richly textured Russian River fruit, vibrant acidic balance, and a luxurious finish that reveals its world-class pedigree. Fans of California Chardonnay may have grown used to overpaying for underwhelming quality, but this 94-point, sub-$20 beauty is ideally suited to buck that trend. Turning to the estate's wheelhouse, don't miss the trio of top-flight, single-vineyard Zinfandels, highlighted by the WS96 Highwire Vineyard from the acclaimed 2023 vintage. "Zin rarely shows this much focus and tenstion," notes Wine Spectator, and we couldn't agree more.
Whether you're looking for an easy everyday go-to or a top-tier reference-point expression for the cellar, this range from Hartford has it in spades. |
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Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, the 2022 Hartford Zinfandel soars with notes of rose oil, star anise, kirsch, and raspberry pie leading to a core of stewed red plums and incense. The medium to full-bodied palate has a refreshing backbone and lightly chewy texture, finishing with lovely purity and a red berry lift. Don and Jennifer Hartford tend this head-trained vineyard in the backyard of their home. Planted over 100 years ago, the Hartford Vineyard’s vines are the lowest yielding of all of their Old Vine Zinfandel vineyards.
96 points, Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Independent (Apr 2024)
Magenta/purple-colored, the 2022 Zinfandel Hartford Vineyard is ripe with notes of black cherry liqueur, licorice, violets, and blue fruit coming through. Full-bodied and ripe, it has good mouthwatering fresh acidity, fine tannin structure, and good energy. I like this one a lot. Drink it over the next 10-12 years.
95 points, Audrey Frick, Jeb Dunnuck (Jun 2024)
Deeply structured yet agile on its feet, with rich raspberry, roasted anise and cracked pepper flavors that fan out on the detailed finish. Drink now through 2032. 267 cases made.
94 points, Tim Fish, Wine Spectator (May 2025)
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