Jay Kline

9.3

Opened and decanted about an hour prior to service. The 2016 San Valentino is a blend of mostly Sangiovese mixed with some local varieties. It pours a deep ruby purple with a near opaque core; medium+ viscosity with light staining of the tears. On the palate, the wine is developing with fascinating notes of ripe cherry, blackberry, exotic spices, wild underbrush, old leather and rich woody notes, some VA and dried rocky earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannins and medium+ viscosity. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and lovely and despite the concentration of flavors, surprisingly nimble and super versatile with the variety of fare on the table including sturgeon in a miso with noodles (it kinda blew my mind actually). Sublime. Drink now with patience and through 2036. — 5 months ago

Bryan Boucher

9.0

2018 vintage — 4 years ago

Barny

9.0

Stoffiger Sangiovese, toller Speisenbegleiter — 6 years ago

Charles Houssa

9.8

At Da Valentino with Jingang. Absolutely amazing !!! — 2 years ago

Neil Shah

9.3

Powerful but not overpowering — 4 years ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.2

Bright cherry, cherry flower, spice, licorice, fresh, deep, terrific fruit, long, complex. — 5 years ago

Stephen Becker

9.0

Smash a bottle of good Champagne on the granite hull of a newly done Lemon Meringue Pie as it launches into Georgian Bay, and watch out for rinds. — 6 years ago

Jay Kline

9.4

Something quite magical often happens to Rafanelli Zinfandel after 10+ years of bottle age. I can’t explain it…but these wines begin to take on a more rustic, Old World feel. It’s as if they shift into an overdrive. The fruit is still big, beautiful and pure (no-doubt a testament to their rigorous selection) and yet they can often display a new energy about them which give them remarkable longevity. This bottle is perfectly representative.

Opened to celebrate my daughter’s 14th birthday, the 2009 Rafanelli Zinfandel pours a deep, practically opaque garnet that becomes more turbid the further we delved into the bottle (in typical fashion, this Rafanelli full of sediment). Medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, bright cherry and bramble-like fruits, Asian spices, espresso and some black pepper. I do sense a touch of VA. On the palate, the wine is dry and with medium tannin and medium+ acid. The notes from the nose are confirmed…with a bit of added emphasis, it should be noted. There’s almost a Pop Rocks experience too…with the slightest effervescence pricking the tongue. And again, this is something that I would more expect from a non-interventionalist wine from Italy…certainly not from Sonoma. Hot take here…but this bottle reminded me of something from Paolo Bea (San Valentino) more than anything from Sonoma, let alone California. It’s just so wonderful. The finish is long and delivers minutes of pleasure.

As far as I’m concerned, nobody is making Zinfandel with the soul that Rafanelli does and the proof is in the bottle each and every time. Of course, they are delicious when young but with age, these wines become something else. Drink now with a decant (for sediment only) and through 2034. — 2 years ago

MICHAEL COOPER DipWSET

Owner TomeVinos wine shops, WSET Level 3, Blogger www.spanishwinesandmore.com, blog.tomevinos.com

9.0

Excellent #pinotgrigio #pinotgris I’m not a Pinot Grigio fan but this has texture and layers. #italywine — 5 years ago

Barny

9.2

Sehr polarisierend, am Anfang enormer Stall, dann mächtig Alkohol der einige Tage Beruhigung verlangt, dann enorm dicht, sein Potential andeutend und die Erkenntnis ihn nochmal 10 Jahre wegzulegen — 7 years ago