2015 Barrel 32 zinfandel

Wine Enthusiast
“This wine is blended from some of the best barrels that the winery made in 2015 from various parts of Sonoma. Gorgeous, plump blackberry aromas meet palate-drenching berry and black-cherry flavors in this dramatically concentrated but smooth-textured wine. It has a great sense of depth and focus due to the perfectly ripened fruit, while staying supple and composed.” Cellar Selection, 94 Points: Superb; a great achievement
-Jim Gordon, November 2018

2015 Collier Falls zinfandel

Wine Review Online
“This vineyard borders the Bella property, and it’s classic Dry Creek Valley, with a nose that goes right up to the raisin box and abruptly turns away, staying in the ripe blackberry zone, with complementary fall spice. The palate is bone dry, with a solid pepper core binding the rich fruit and keeping the finish pumping. This has age-worthy structure—get a case and enjoy over time.” 94 Points
-Rich Cook, December 2018

2015 Florence Vineyard zinfandel

Wine Enthusiast
“Pure, expressive fruit flavors and a supremely polished texture make this full-bodied wine a delight to drink. It practically oozes raspberry and blackberry aromas, and floods the palate with flavors of berries and peppery spice.” 92 Points: Excellent; highly recommended
-Jim Gordon, November 2018

Wine Review Online
“Winemaker Joe Healy and consultant Mike Dashe are responsible for the Bella Zin portfolio, and both are interested practitioners of what’s possible with the grape from varied sites, carefully choosing how to treat each so that the site speaks clearly. This fruit started as cuttings of the St. Peters Church from Jack Florence’s Rockpile vineyard – there’s some Zin geek-out for you – and they are doing just fine in their adopted home, showing lively red fruit and ripe fig aromas and flavors, with a touch of pepper coming forward in the finish. Gourmet burgers, steaks or short ribs will work! Contains 7% Petite Sirah.” 92 Points
-Rich Cook, October 2018

Connoisseurs’ Guide to California Wine
“None of Bella’s impressively extracted Zins goes wanting for obvious ripeness, and, if this mouthfilling effort sits on the riper end of the spectrum, it does not lapse into raisiny desiccation and delivers loads of very deep and juicy, sweet berry fruit that effectively counters its slight turn to last-minute heat and convincingly keeps it on the defined varietal path. There is nothing delicate about it, but neither does it run to the brink of late-harvest excess and it is sure to win fans among those who revel in intensely flavorful Zinfandels that, while showy now, will evolve favorably for a half-dozen years.” 90 Points: Fine example of a type or style of wine
-Steve Eliot, June 2018

KSRO Radio
“Tom Simoneau’s Wines of the Year 2018”
“Tom Simoneau is on California Wine Country this week to present his 2018 Wines of the Year, with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger.
Best Reds: Zinfandel
2015 Bella Florence Vineyard zinfandel
From one of Dry Creek Valley’s premier Zinfandel producers. At Bella it’s all Zin all the time. The stunning caves alone are worth the drive to the end of the Dry Creek Valley. The Florence is all red fruit, screams Zinfandel, and is perfectly balanced. A visit to Bella is highly recommended.”
-Tom Simoneau, Steve Jaxon, and Dan Berger, December 2018

San Francisco Magazine
“The Fourth of July was built for wine. From hamburgers and barbecue to grilled corn and fish tacos, here are some of our favorite wine pairings to start the fireworks at this year’s party.”
2015 Bella Florence Vineyard zinfandel
“Eat: Ribs. Zinfandel is generally accepted as the best red pairing wine for barbecue, and this velvety zin, with flavors of fig, peppery spice, and jam will show you why. It may be formidable, but it will not overpower the sauce.”
-Ian White, July 2018 

Instagram
“Celebrating National Zinfandel Day with this single vineyard beauty from Bella Vineyards and Wine Caves in Dry Creek Valley. Jack Florence has been growing grapes for more than 35 years. The aromatics are floral and inviting. The palate leans to red fruits and a firm core of spices. A light dusting of baker's chocolate provides a delightful finish. Lively acid provides a backbone that runs throughout this delicious Zin. It's full flavored but relatively gentle. Perfect for whatever your Thanksgiving Eve meal consists of.”
-Gabe Sasso, November 2018

2015 Maple Vineyards Annie’s Block zinfandel

Wine Enthusiast
“Brambly aromas and wild berry flavors give this wine a classic profile, while a full body and moderate tannins help firm up the texture. Hints of olive and sage offer added complexity.” 93 Points: Excellent; highly recommended
-Jim Gordon, November 2018

Connoisseurs’ Guide to California Wine
“Intense and very plentiful fruit is the dominant theme of this complete and very generous young Zin, and, while echoing its big-bodied siblings in matters of ripeness and sheer varietal amplitude, it is the deepest and most easily accessed of the clan. That is not to say that it demands immediate drinking as its initial suppleness gives way to nominal tannin and firming acidity as it crosses the palate, but it is not gruff or tough as much as it is solidly structured, and those willing to forego its manifold early appeals will find that, after a half-decade or so, it will have evolved into a multi-layered wine that demonstrates the virtues that can come with patient cellaring.” 91 Points: A highly distinctive wine. Likely to be memorable
-Steve Eliot, June 2018

Houston Lifestyles & Homes
“Seeing Red – Wines to snatch up for fall and winter tasting”
“Of the 200 or so red wines I have consumed over the last three months, here we have the cream of the crop!”
2015 Bella Maple Vineyards Annie’s Block zinfandel
“Lush — a tour de force.”
-Denman Moody, August 2018

2015 Maple Vineyards zinfandel

Wine & Spirits
“The team at Bella gets fruit from the oldest blocks of dry-farmed bush vines at Maple Vineyards, planted in 1970. Those vines produce a floral zin with notes of rose-petal jam. The tannins feel brisk and frisky, as well as meaty and savory, ready for a charry, soy-marinated flank steak.” 90 Points: Delicious, compelling; a compelling wine of its region; a delicious, finessed expression of place
-Josh Greene, May 2018

2015 Rock’s Edge zinfandel

Wine Enthusiast
“This is one of the rare Zinfandels that needs time in the cellar to reach its most enjoyable stage. The concentration and depth of fruit is apparent, but it’s currently wound up with tight tannins and bright acidity, needing time to unravel its complexities.” Cellar Selection, 94 Points: Superb; a great achievement
-Jim Gordon, November 2018

Wine Review Online
“People often start on their red wine journey with this variety for its fruity accessibility. Those in the know go on to appreciate its myriad expressions, with each locale, picking decisions and handling choices offering so many different experiences. This rich blend of two Rockpile sites shows great ripeness -- think blackberry pie -- but also shows depth of aroma and flavor, with elements like damp earth, root beer, white pepper and cinnamon. Racy acidity keeps it all together through a long, satisfying finish that begs a rare strong cheese platter. Great Zinfandel!” 93 Points
-Rich Cook, October 2018

Wine & Spirits
“A blend of high-elevation fruit from Rocky Ridge with the small clusters that come off the vines at Westphall, this is packed with the fruit-skin tannins of small-berried zin. The dark fruit flavors fall somewhere between figs and tiny wild blueberries, dense enough to stand up to the tannic extract. This is built to cellar.” 90 Points: Delicious, compelling; a compelling wine of its region; a delicious, finessed expression of place
-Josh Greene, October 2018

Woodlands Lifestyles & Homes
2015 Bella Rock's Edge zinfandel
“A tour de force.”
-Denman Moody, September 2018