From 'The Cars' to the Vines - Bruce Patch is ‘just what you needed’

Coming from the spiritual home of Zinfandel in California, Dry Creek Valley, this is such a wonderful expression of a grape that was largely overlooked for the majority of its time in America. Originally from Croatia where it is known as “Crljenak Kaštelanski”, this indigenous grape varietal didn’t take long to cross the Adriatic Sea and into the hands of the southern Italians. There, Zinfandel, known in Italy as Primitivo, was a perfect fit for this grape’s lower-moisture preferences (being prone to mold/rot damage), getting the ideal growing conditions in the hot, dry, and typically higher elevation sites of Puglia and making some incredible wines.

These were the people who were responsible early on for bringing Zinfandel to America. They recognized in the 1850s that the hills of Dry Creek Valley had everything you needed to grow Zinfandel almost as soon as they got there, and by the time the first wineries opened in the 1870s they were already known for it. This explains why there is so much “old vine” Zinfandel as well as why producers like Seghesio, Ridge, and of course, Dry Creek Vineyards all have wines from the area as well.

Bruce Patch was in the music industry for years, notably for helping the wonderfully 80’s rock group The Cars get discovered, when he moved to the Russian River Valley with his wife in the 90’s. He started a wine distributor then slowly moved through the industry and became winemaker at a producer named “Wine Guerilla” just before he began his own label. 

2022 Bruce Patch Wines Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley, California

2022 Bruce Patch Wines Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley, California- This is a blend of 85% Zinfandel and 15% Petit Sirah from Dry Creek that perfectly represents the flavors of a more relaxed expression. Coming in at 14.3% alcohol, this is not your typical Zin with tons of jammy black fruit, oak, and a high ABV, this is the type of Zin that just want to the grow the grape to its normal potential.

On the nose, you get really clear black cherry, cassis, and plum which seem to want to swirl even when the glass is standing still. Once they’ve made their presence known you discover there’s some black cherry, black raspberry, red apple and pomegranate juice. With time, the fruit settles a little bit and you get some savory notes like a tiny hint of pepper and the smell of the kitchen with a big pot of beef stock on the stove.

On the palate, you’re immediately struck by the acidity, in the form of black cherry, plum, and a hint of cranberry, and then the rest of the wine hits you. The red apple, fresh raspberry, and cassis juice jump out like background dancers in a Motown song. That hint of beef stock savory remains here and is joined by an almost minty and licorice flavor courtesy of the Petit Sirah. The tannins are present but light, allowing the fruit to shine.

This bottle is a really great example of a Zinfandel that isn’t pushed to its limits in the vineyard or the cellar to create a hugely jammy/high alcohol product and it just gets to be what it actually is, and that happens to be a very tremendously full-flavored Dry Creek Zinfandel that works great with food and is enjoyable enough to have on its own.

Bruce Patch Wines only produced 125 cases of this particular wine and, on their website, it’s listed for sale for $40. We were able to get an incredible deal and have it on sale for $15.99.

This is a great wine to have with beef, pork, tomato sauce dishes, BBQ chicken, or just on its own with your Valentine.