Hobo Wine Co. Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel 2006
I’ve long been a fan of Zinfandel, and of Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel in particular. I’ve tried Zinfandels from all over California, including those areas where I think it grows best (Paso Robles, Alexander Valley, and Rockpile Road for instance). But in the end, I always come back to Zins from Dry Creek Valley.
The Zinfandels made in this appellation exhibit a degree of character that isn’t quite there in other Zins, however good they may be. I often identify this as a brambly, earthy, rustic element that makes the wines just breathe a sense of place.
Now, there may be a certain degree of romanticism to this belief of mine, but then half the joy of wine is it’s romanticism, isn’t it? A given wine conveys to us its own meaning, a meaning undoubtedly imbued with our own thoughts, expectations, and beliefs. Great wine or not, we enjoy it for reasons beyond merely what’s in the glass.
But I tell you, Zins from dry creek valley really are unique, and delicious too. And this example from the Hobo Wine Company is no exception.
Who is Hobo Wine Company you ask? Good question, and it’s the first question that popped into my head when I saw this bottle. It was a gift from a good friend whose taste is entirely trustworthy, so I figured the wine had a lot of promise. But nonetheless, it was a complete unknown to me. It turns out that the Hobo Wine Company is the name of winemaker Kenny Likitprakong. Begun in 2002, the label was his first foray into winemaking under his own “name”, after having worked in various wine-making capacities at a handful of California wineries.
Initially, Hobo Wine Co. made all of their wine from purchased grapes, establishing relationships with growers throughout Sonoma County. A few years later in 2006, he began leasing vineyards in both Dry Creek Valley and Santa Rosa. Since then, the company’s vineyard holdings have increased incrementally, as has production. Whereas initially Hobo Wine Co. put out a Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel and Dry Creek Valley Port, today the range of releases is somewhat broader, with a year-round lineup that includes two more Zinfandel bottlings and two Cabernet Sauvignon bottlings, alongside special small-lot releases or single-vineyard bottlings.
Their approach is typical of many smaller, more craft-oriented winemakers nowadays, with an emphasis on minimal intervention, selective use of natural yeasts, and a light-handed use of (both French and American) oak.
So the back-story was a good one, but how would the wine stack up? I mean, when it comes to Zins, my expectations are somewhat high…
Tasting Notes
The wine pours a dark, inky purple. The nose is ripe with notes of blackberry and black currant, dark earthy mint, and more subtle notes of French oak and vanilla. The palate is a balanced blend of flavors both earthy and sweet, with ample tannin to boot. In fact, it’s more balanced than the richness of the nose would have you expect. Flavors of sweet and tart black and red berries dominant, with a dark coffee element thrown in for good measure. The tannins dry out the palate and lend a gripping oakiness to it. Over time in the glass they soften, but never fully go away. The finish is medium-length with black fruit left on a drying palate.
I was surprised at how tannic this wine was, and felt that either a) it could have been aged even longer, and b) it should have been opened much earlier. In fact, we kept a couple of glasses worth for the next day, and the tannins had softened considerably by then, making for a much smoother drinking experience. All in all though, a very tasty wine, and I’d be game for looking into more of their wines if I see them in the future.
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