2006 Nickel & Nickel Bonfire Vineyard Zinfandel

Nickel & Nickel is located in Oakville in the Napa Valley section of California. The winery’s focus is the production of single-varietal, single-vineyard wines. Their current vintage offerings include wines sourced from both Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley. The majority of the Napa Valley offerings are Cabernet Sauvignon, while their wines from Sonoma include a Chardonnay, a Syrah, and two Zinfandels.

The 2006 Nickel & Nickel Bonfire Vineyard Zinfandel was 100% Zinfandel. The wine was aged in French oak barrels (35% new, 65% once-used) for 14 months. The label listed ABV was 15%. The fruit for this vintage was sourced from Bonfire Vineyard, located in Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma.

I had tasted several Nickel & Nickel wines over the years. Most recently, I revisited the brand to great success with their 2008 Kelham Cabernet Sauvignon. It had been some time since I sampled their Bonfire Vineyard Zinfandel, but I recalled liking the wine. When I came across it in a local store, I decided to pick up a bottle.

This turned out to be a good decision.

Prior to tasting, the wine spent 2 hours in a decanter.

The wine’s color was a vibrant black cherry.

The aromas rising from the glass were outstanding. The first thing that hit me was raspberry. Wait, not just raspberry, raspberry pie. I could smell the golden, buttery crust. Next was blueberry cobbler (more delicious crust). There was also blackberry (no pie, just very, expressive fruit). There was no alcohol at all on the nose.

Taking a sip, all the wonderful aromas from the nose got together for a spectacular flavor party on the palate. Blackberry, red fruit, strawberry and raspberry, all combined in a harmonious manner. The fruit was rounded out by vanilla on the back end. The tannins were ultra-smooth and so well integrated. In addition to being mouth watering-good, the wine was very, well balanced.

The finish was medium long, carrying vanilla, and what I thought was a slight hint of heat (surprising as it wasn’t noticeable on the nose or the palate. I could have been mistaken.).

All in all, this was one delicious Zinfandel. It has not claimed the spot of my favorite Zin, but it was a great bottle of wine. The 2006 Nickel & Nickel Bonfire Vineyard Zinfandel cost me $50. While that is definitely the upper end of the range for Zinfandel, this wine was worth the price. I would not hesitate to order it again. If you are a drinker of Zinfandel, I hope you get to try it soon.

Cheers!
NJ Vinoman