Collier Falls Vineyards

Collier Falls is up so high in Dry Creek Valley that part of the vineyard overlooks Lake Sonoma – an elevated reservoir behind a massive earthen dam at the high end of the valley. The vineyard was so exposed to sun and wind that the Colliers interplanted some of the existing Zinfandel acreage with Primitivo (Zin’s Italian, genetically similar cousin) to help shade the vines. It worked. This wine includes 7% Primitivo with Zinfandel, which I believe is one reason the wine has 15.5% alcohol but only 3.5 pH. In other words, yes to fruit, no to flab.

Aromatically, this wine comes in on the darker side of the typical Dry Creek Valley profile, with blackberries and dark cherries plus brightness and lift on the high side and dark toasted oak on the shadow side. In your mouth it’s a complete wine with fruit, acid, tannin all in harmony, an excellent flow across the palate and fill of the tasting chamber. I particularly liked the sweet cherry note in the finish, which doesn't leave the rest of the flavors behind but seemed instead to pull them upward into a little cloud of Zinfandel heaven.

Reviewed August 9, 2007 by Thom Elkjer.