America is a multicultural society. When the lines "give us your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free" were etched on the Statue of Liberty, it became a worldwide invitation to anyone wanting to move to the USA. And they did. From sea to shining sea, people from all four corners of the globe settled and made it their home. That is what Edoardo Seghesio did in 1886 when he left Piedmonte.
He settled in Sonoma County, partly as it allowed him to indulge in his passion for making wine, but also as he joined the Italian Swiss Colony, which, in turn for working for three years for room and board, he received a lump sum of money to buy land or set up a business. Seghesio did both after he married in 1895 and planted Zinfandel in the 'Home Ranch'.
Four generations later, the Seghesio family still make Zinfandels, and have, like most producers, branched out to other varietals. I tasted some of their wines at a recent tasting in Edinburgh. These are my thoughts.
Seghesio Arneis, 2006
Peachy, soapy and a little sherbert on the nose. The palate has too much residual sugar. It is flabby and crude and too spicy. 5/10
Seghesio Fiano, 2006
I like Fiano. I don't like this. It is closed, a touch of lemon comes out of the glass but nothing more. The palate is dry, bitter and then with a lot of flabby, watered down peach pulp. 5/10
Seghesio Sangiovese, 2004
Smells like milk chocolate with a Burger King burger relish. The palate is thin, boring and the mid palate is just repulsive with a cheap blueberry pie filling flavour. Very poor. 3/10
I cannot tell you how disappointed I was with these wines. I was not holding up much hope for the two whites, but I wanted the Sangiovese to be at very least drinkable, and it was the worst of the lot. However, the saviour of Seghesio is the Zinfandel grape.
Seghesio Sonoma County Zinfandel, 2006
Chocolate covered cherries on the nose. The palate is too tight, with under ripe cherries and quite a bit of spice. It is a good wine, just a touch young. 7/10
Seghesio Cortina Zinfandel, 2004
Very nice nose. Savoury and sweet nose, cherry one minute then herby veggies the next. The palate is more cherry, and with a very appealing roasting tray flavour - you know, when you are roasting beef and the juices have caramelized on the bottom of the tray. Then throw in some lovely fruit - a bit of bramble. 8.5/10
Seghesio Old Vine Zinfandel, 2004
Quite a sexy nose. Belgian milk chocolate on the nose, a bit of vanilla and sour raspberries. Very balanced and the sort of wine that you could very easily drink a bottle of. 7.5/10
I like this producer. Aside from the romantic immigrant story, the fact that they have century old vines in America and they are in the same place as their forefathers were, they produce some bloody good Zinfandel. They appear to have lost their way a bit with the other Italian grape varieties they are planting, but with their Zin they are creating, what I think is, proper American wine. Grapes from the winemakers homeland, setting down roots in new world soil, and whilst retaining the identity of Italy, they embrace their new homeland and, like the family that planted the grapes a century ago, these wines have become truly American.
Crikey, I've just become all cheesy and sentimental, just like an American movie. It must be too much Zinfandel.
He settled in Sonoma County, partly as it allowed him to indulge in his passion for making wine, but also as he joined the Italian Swiss Colony, which, in turn for working for three years for room and board, he received a lump sum of money to buy land or set up a business. Seghesio did both after he married in 1895 and planted Zinfandel in the 'Home Ranch'.
Four generations later, the Seghesio family still make Zinfandels, and have, like most producers, branched out to other varietals. I tasted some of their wines at a recent tasting in Edinburgh. These are my thoughts.
Seghesio Arneis, 2006
Peachy, soapy and a little sherbert on the nose. The palate has too much residual sugar. It is flabby and crude and too spicy. 5/10
Seghesio Fiano, 2006
I like Fiano. I don't like this. It is closed, a touch of lemon comes out of the glass but nothing more. The palate is dry, bitter and then with a lot of flabby, watered down peach pulp. 5/10
Seghesio Sangiovese, 2004
Smells like milk chocolate with a Burger King burger relish. The palate is thin, boring and the mid palate is just repulsive with a cheap blueberry pie filling flavour. Very poor. 3/10
I cannot tell you how disappointed I was with these wines. I was not holding up much hope for the two whites, but I wanted the Sangiovese to be at very least drinkable, and it was the worst of the lot. However, the saviour of Seghesio is the Zinfandel grape.
Seghesio Sonoma County Zinfandel, 2006
Chocolate covered cherries on the nose. The palate is too tight, with under ripe cherries and quite a bit of spice. It is a good wine, just a touch young. 7/10
Seghesio Cortina Zinfandel, 2004
Very nice nose. Savoury and sweet nose, cherry one minute then herby veggies the next. The palate is more cherry, and with a very appealing roasting tray flavour - you know, when you are roasting beef and the juices have caramelized on the bottom of the tray. Then throw in some lovely fruit - a bit of bramble. 8.5/10
Seghesio Old Vine Zinfandel, 2004
Quite a sexy nose. Belgian milk chocolate on the nose, a bit of vanilla and sour raspberries. Very balanced and the sort of wine that you could very easily drink a bottle of. 7.5/10
I like this producer. Aside from the romantic immigrant story, the fact that they have century old vines in America and they are in the same place as their forefathers were, they produce some bloody good Zinfandel. They appear to have lost their way a bit with the other Italian grape varieties they are planting, but with their Zin they are creating, what I think is, proper American wine. Grapes from the winemakers homeland, setting down roots in new world soil, and whilst retaining the identity of Italy, they embrace their new homeland and, like the family that planted the grapes a century ago, these wines have become truly American.
Crikey, I've just become all cheesy and sentimental, just like an American movie. It must be too much Zinfandel.
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