The 12 Days of Zin Continues with what will be its Southern most stop. Orfila Vineyards and Winery is a San Diego based operation. Orfila Winery was purchased close to 20 years ago by Alejandro Orfila and his wife. He is a former Argentine Ambassador to the US. His General Manager and Winemaker at Orfila is Leon Santoro. Santoro brought a wide range of experience with him. His past winemaking includes stops at Napa Valley's Quail Ridge, Stags Leap Cellars and Louis Martini Winery. Together Orfila and Santoro share a stated goal to prove that excellent wine can be produced in the Southern part of California. Orfila has a 70 acre Estate with 40 of those under vine.
The 2005 Orfila Winery & Vineyards "Gold Rush" Zinfandel was sourced from the Lopez Vineyards in Rancho Cucamonga. The suggested retail price for this wine is $24.
The nose of this 2005 Zin from Orfila is filled with the aromas of fresh summer berry pie. I found the wine to be slightly tight out of the bottle. Decanting or letting it open a bit in your glass is recommended. Once it opens up a ton of cherry and subtle wild strawberry notes come out in droves. While this selection is rich and full in the mid-palate it leans towards medium bodied within the world of Zinfandel. Black pepper and light earth notes fill the finish which has good length. I had this with London broil and it complemented it quite well.
What I liked most about this particular Zinfandel is its combination of rich flavor, countered by smooth, easy drinkability. A nice selection from Orfila Vineyards and Winery.
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