2023 Zinfandel (Russian River Valley)

This set of new releases from Limerick Lane has a lot to offer. Chris Pittenger has done a terrific job in bringing a more contemporary style to these wines by emphasizing freshness and backing off on the heavier extractions that were once the norm here. It’s an approach that is especially well suited for emphasizing site character. Limerick Lane produces several wines from their estate vineyard and sources fruit from other sites to round out their offerings. The 2022s, from a brutally challenging year, are excellent follow-ups to the stratospheric 2021s. Naturally, the 2022s don’t have the sense of dynamic energy or overall complexity of the 2021s, but they are absolutely delicious wines in every way. I also tasted two 2023s that bode extremely well for this young vintage.