Ulises Valvez was one of the great American success stories in the wine world. An immigrant to this country, he built his vineyard and winery into a top notch winery. Sadly, he passed away a couple of years ago at far too young of an age. His winery carries on. This is a Zinfandel blend that also has 17% Peite Sirah and 5% Grenache. The vineyard was originally planted in 1888 and hand farmed by Ulises Valdez since 1988. There are some very old vines. Purple in color. The nose has black cherries, some raspberries, a bit of spice and bramble. Nice texture. Juicy acidity. There is some depth here but at age 7, this has started to drink more in a claret style of Zinfandel. It drinks well on its own and will work well with burgers or barbecue. At this point, there is no hurry. The youthful energy is passed and this should maintain this level for the next five to seven years and likely longer.
