Bart Hansen is the founder and winemaker of Dane Cellars and just from the brief conversation I had with him over the phone two years ago I could tell he's just one hell of a guy. Funny, open, honest, and kind, with a big heart full of passion and love. Bart started off in the industry during harvest; trucking grapes from the vineyard down a hill, five tons at a time. In 1986 he started winemaking for Kenwood, and then hopped over to Benziger in 1998. But he left Benziger to become a stay at home dad to his son Dane. And when he felt like he needed to get back in the game, he founded Dane Cellars in 2007.
You can read all the reviews I've written on Bart's wine under the Dane Cellars label for the blog, but this time I'm reviewing his 2016 Valeria, 2016 Chenin Blanc, 2016 Zinfandel, and 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon. (PS: I still have a bottle of his 2012 Justi Creek Cabernet Sauvignon that I'm waiting to open on a special occasion and can't wait to see how it evolved)
The Gopher's Run Zinfandel is so new that it's not even available on DaneCellars.com yet! So because of that, I don't have any winemaking information. But that's okay! After you try this Zinfandel out you won't even care as long as it gets in your belly!
But first! Lately I've been listening to Bart's podcast "The Wine Makers" and loving the crap out of it, and I've gone back into the archives to listen to a bunch of old episodes already. These guys sit down, pop open some wine, and talk about winemaking and all sorts of things going on in the wine world. The insight that I've gotten into their side of the industry in the last few days has been fascinating. And the best part? You can tell that these guys are having a lot of fun doing the podcast. This is something that you, as a fan of wine, should definitely check out.Onward with Zinfandel! Okay, so yeah, you've heard me say time and time again that "I don't like Zinfandel but I like this one". It's true! I don't Zinfandel! It's extremely rare that I actually try a Zinfandel and not ask myself "why would I want a whole glass of this grossness?" But I've gotten extremely lucky with the Zins that I receive to be reviewed on this blog. That leads me to wonder... maybe the vast majority of the Zins on the Massachusetts market make it here for a reason, and all the stuff that appeals more to my palate generally don't make it this far from where they're made. I need to look more in to this. Oh! By the way: I don't like Zinfandel but I like this one!
The color of the wine is ruby red with a little bit of a brick tint to it. There's aromas of raspberries, juicy ripe plums, white chocolate, black licorice, bay leaf, and concrete. Oh boy. It's got one hell of a nose. On the palate it's medium bodied with a delicately elegant yet rounded mouthfeel with nicely balanced acidity, big chalky tannin, and hot ethanol. Those aromas of raspberries, plums, black licorice, and concrete come back for more fun as flavors. And the finish is super chalky as those tannins completely take over.
This is AWESOME. But the problem is that the price of purchase is $36, and I score by price vs quality for each item. So I'm placing it between Satisfying and Recommended. You are not going to regret the purchase of this Zinfandel at all. It's super yummy.
QUALITY VS PRICE RATING
Price: $36
Rating: 3.5/5 = Satisfying / Recommended (what does that mean?)
The bottle used was supplied free of charge for the purpose of this unpaid review. To have your wine reviewed follow this link.
The bottle used was supplied free of charge for the purpose of this unpaid review. To have your wine reviewed follow this link.
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