ZINFANDEI

The outstanding 2022 and 2023 vintages deliver diverse styles from contrasting growing seasons

- TIM FISH

The contrast between the 2022 and 2023 California Zinfandels is extreme. The 2022 vintage ended with blazing heat, while in 2023, winemakers feared that grapes would never get ripe.

“They’re almost the exact opposite,” says Bedrock winemaker Morgan Twain-Peterson. Katie Madigan, winemaker at St. Francis, has a similar view: “These two vintages could not be more different, but they each have just such great redeeming qualities in my book.”

That’s what makes Zinfandel so fascinating to review. I’ve covered 20 vintages of Zin for Wine Spectator and I’ve been drinking it a lot longer than that. Italian immigrants grew and vinified Zinfandel during the mid-19th century because it reminded them of the hearty reds of home. It is one of California’s most underappreciated wines, and from my perspective it has never been better.

That’s my analysis after reviewing nearly 175 Zinfandels in blind tastings at our Napa office since my previous report (“Zinfandel Windfall,” Oct. 15, 2024). In that report, I gave the 2022s a preliminary score of 91-94 points for both Napa and Sonoma, and based on my tastings this year, I rate both regions 94. I’ve tasted only a few dozen of 2023s, but I give that year a similar apreliminary score of 91-94 points for both regions.

Veteran Zin-maker Jeff Cohn appreciates the stark difference between the 2022s and 2023s. “That’s what winemaking is all about. That’s what keeps it exciting, right? You’re dancing with Mother Nature.”

Zinfandel producers have never had it easy. A fervent cult following fueled the wine’s popularity starting in the late 1990s, but U.S. wines sales have stalled overall, and Zinfandel has been among the hardest hit.