Wine Spectator 94 (top Seghesio of the vintage):
A wine that captures what's best about Dry Creek, offering loads of briary raspberry and cherry flavors, with toasty sage, cinnamon and pepper accents that finish on a dynamic note. Drink now through 2029.
In fact, only one of the 141 Seghesio Zins they’ve reviewed has ever scored higher, the 2009 Home Ranch at 95 points. (And that was their #12 Wine of the Year.)
The Wine Enthusiast loved it, too:
This brawny, unabashedly ripe, supple wine is thick in baked plum, dark cherry and mocha, with a viscosity that expands on the palate. Baking spice and cola mingle and add to the opulent style.
The winery says:
Cortina Zinfandel represents our peak expression of Zinfandel from Dry Creek Valley. Named for the gravelly loam soils where this varietal thrives, the heart of Cortina Zinfandel comes from Chen’s Vineyard, planted by the Seghesio Family in 1972. Shrouded by morning fog and cooled by afternoon breezes, the grapes benefit from longer hang time, resulting in a finished wine with lifted aromatics, layered bright fruit flavors and elegant structure.
Always one of our most elegant and polished expressions of Zinfandel, Cortina has a bold flavor profile while being balanced and lithe on the palate. Notes of boysenberry, mulberry, cedar and clove complement the wine’s finely integrated tannins. A perfect partner to this wine would be a rack or leg of lamb. The richness of the wine and the combination of berry and spice notes would meld perfectly with the rich and slightly gamey flavor of lamb.
A whopping 15.5% here – though as always with Seghesio, you’d never know it.
A classic both for Seghesio and the Dry Creek Valley.
