Zinfandel and Primitivo are genetically the same grape variety, most commonly grown in California and Puglia, Italy respectively. The grape likely traces back to Croatia, where it is known as Tribidrag/Crljenak Kaštelanski. It ripens unevenly, with grape clusters often containing a mix of overripe and underripe berries, resulting in wines that range from bright and brambly to rich and jammy, with aromas and flavors of blackberry, raspberry, black pepper, and baking spice. High sugars in the grapes at harvest results in high alcohol levels after fermentation, and selecting fruit from old vines can add depth and savory complexity in the resulting wine. The long, cooler growing season of the Russian River Valley will offer a more nuanced and tart wine, whereas the hot growing season of Puglia, even with its great diurnal range, offers a jammier expression of the grape variety.

Both wines presented in this blind tasting feature the expected aromas and flavors of blackberry, black plum, raspberry, and licorice, however the Deloach Zinfandel has significantly more pronounced aromas and flavors of vanilla, cloves, and cedar due to the extended maturation in French oak. Despite Puglia’s warmer climate, the Matané has a lower alcohol level due to the age and yield of the vines, and the grapes were harvested earlier in the year, resulting in green and herbaceous aromas and flavors and higher levels of acidity.