Back to Brown Estate – for Zin this time (#winePW)

I don’t usually reach for Zinfandel (sorry, Zin fans). Too overly ripe and jammy for my tastes. Or it that just my perception of Zin?

Over the past decade or so, wine reviewers have noticed a return to balance in Zinfandel winemaking. According to Joel Peterson, the so-called “Godfather of Zinfandel,” the best Zins highlight “good fruit and spice without… jammy-ness [and have] lovely acid balance.” (Source: Food and Wine)

Regardless, I’d been eager to try Brown Estate Zin ever since I wrote about this family-owned Napa Valley producer a year ago for the Wine Pairing Weekend’s BIPOC theme. BIPOC stands for “Black, Indigenous and People of Color.” Seems fitting to focus on BIPOC producers during Black History Month in February.

Brown Estate is the first and only Black-owned winery in Napa, and Zin is the variety that put the Browns on the map. They also produce Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Petite Sirah. You can read my February 2021 post about their Chardonnay and find the full details about how this family persevered despite setbacks.

I was holiday shopping at Total Wine & More last December when I spied a bottle of #Brownzin and immediately bought it as a gift to myself. I’m delighted to feature this wine, which changed my mind about Zin, for the February 2022 Wine Pairing Weekend BIPOC theme and Twitter chat on Saturday, 2/12, starting at 8 am PT/11 am ET. You’re invited to join the group by following the #winePW hashtag.

What’s up with Zin?

Zinfandel arrived in the Americas in the early 19th century and was immediately a hit in both Napa and Sonoma counties. DNA research (known as the “Zinquest”) by the University of California at Davis in the early 1990s and early 2000s confirmed that Zin is identical to Italy’s Primitivo.

Tracing the Zin family tree back farther, we know that Primitivo arrived in Italy via Croatia. In Croatia, the grape goes by various names, including Tribidrag and Crljenak Kastelanski. But the question of whether Zinfandel arrived in the U.S. from Italy or via another route remains unanswered.

Zin has been used to make various wine styles since it arrived in the U.S., including dry and sweet red wines and the infamous White Zinfandel blush of the 1970s. (Source: wine-searcher)

Although it represents only a small proportion of the Napa Valley’s vineyard area, Zin remains significant in its wine portfolio. Hillside sites above the valley floor, especially rocky, free-draining slopes, provide the kind of warm, dry environment that Zin loves best.

The producer and the wine:
2018 Brown Estate Zinfandel, Napa Valley
100% Napa Valley Zinfandel

The Browns were farmers first and farmers they remain. In 1980, Bassett and Marcela Abrahams Brown, from Jamaica and Panama, respectively, bought a 450-acre abandoned ranch in the Chiles Valley AVA of Napa Valley, a small valley deep in the Vaca Mountains that gets no fog. In 1985, they planted their first vineyard, approximately nine acres of, you guessed it, Zin.

At first, the Browns sold their highly regarded Zin and other vinifera grapes to area wineries. Now, thanks to the second generation of Browns, the family produces its own wine. They now have 50 acres of their own land under vine.

Historically, Brown Estate’s flagship Napa Valley Zin consisted entirely of their own fruit. With the 2018 vintage, veteran winemaker David Brown added grapes from the Howell Mountain and Calistoga AVAs to the blend.

Howell Mountain is another sunny AVA, but colder during the day. This little difference makes vines struggle to produce grapes and results in deeper-colored wine with higher tannins. Calistoga, where the Vaca Mountains and the Mayacamus Mountains intersect, is known for low nighttime temperatures and high daytime temperatures, similar to mountain AVAs, and volcanic soils. This terroir tends to produce meaty Zinfandels. (Source: Wine Folly)

The wine is aged 10 months in 30% new oak, 50/50 French/American.

My tasting notes: Garnet with purplish tones. Aromatic nose of raspberry, cherry, rose petal and a whiff of smoke. On the palate, medium+ to high acidity hits immediately, along with tingly sensations along the tongue. After that, I get a raspberry, cherry and spicy combo that reminds me of red hots. Remember that candy? I read that Zin can have a “five-spice powder” profile. Didn’t know what that meant until I looked it up. The four core ingredients of this powder are cinnamon, fennel, star anise and cloves – the last one is dealer’s choice. Yes, that’s it! The Zin finished strong with notes of mocha, tobacco and a hint of vanilla. Complex, not jammy, but I’d cellar this one a few additional years to smooth out the tannins. Alcohol: 14.5%. Price: $44.99.

The pairing: Classic beef stew and high-octane red wine are bound to marry well. I learned a few valuable pointers from reading stew recipes on thekitchn.com. First, add salt and pepper to the meat before browning it or the stew won’t be properly seasoned. Second, use chicken stock to avoid the tinny flavor you can get sometimes from beef stock. Finally, add the carrots and potatoes halfway through the cooking time to keep them from getting too mushy.

Both the spouse and I felt the Zin slightly overpowered the stew, but this pairing sure warmed up a cold winter night in the Pacific Northwest!

Ready to read about more BIPOC wine producers? Check out these links:

• Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm shares Here’s to Longevity. Cheers!!
• Culinary Adventures with Camilla is sharing Cherry-Kissed Pairing: Maison Noir’s Horseshoes and Handgrenades + Steaks in a Cherry Pan Sauce.
• Linda from My Full Wine Glass shares Back to Brown Estate – for Zin this time.
• Deanna from Wineivore pairs Long Life Noodles + Longevity Chardonnay with a Unique Twist.
• Susannah from Avvinare features A trio of delightful wines from Theopolis Vineyards.
• Gwendolyn from Wine Predator…Gwendolyn Alley gives us a triple header: Organic Field Number Fifteen Fulfills a Lifelong Dream in El Dorado, We Say “Kiwa’nan” to Kitá Wines with 3 Blends by Tara Gomez Paired with Soul Food and NFL Super Star Charles Woodson’s “Intercept” Pinot Noir Paired with Smoked Ham.
• Nicole from Somm’s Table is Cooking to the Wine: Longevity Pinot Grigio with Crab Cakes.
• David from Cooking Chat will pair Berbere Lentil Chili with Rosé from the McBride Sisters.