Vintage Character California in 2022 was a season full of curveballs, with a Labor Day heat wave splitting the harvest into earlier and later picks. Vintners across the state still reported high quality overall. In 2022, the 'Edizione Pennino' Zinfandel from Niebaum-Pennino reflects that season. Edizione Pennino carries the name of Coppola's mother's family and is a California Zinfandel.
Tasting Profile & Food Pairing Ripe blackberry, raspberry jam and plum lead, with pepper and warm spice. It is dry, medium-to-full-bodied, with medium-high acidity and medium-high tannins. The palate is full and juicy, with ripe tannins and a warm finish. It is best enjoyed in its youth, with leather and dried fruit appearing later. Barbecued ribs, char siu and spiced lamb suit its ripe fruit. Serve at about 16 to 18 degrees Celsius in a wide glass, and decant a young bottle for a short time if you like. Zinfandel makes ripe, generous reds in California and is the same grape as Primitivo in Italy. Firm cheeses such as Comté also work, as do soy-braised dishes that are not too sweet. A wine of this weight rewards a few minutes in the glass, when the fruit settles and the spice and savoury notes come forward.
Winery Background Niebaum-Pennino is a label from the family of film director Francis Ford Coppola. The Pennino name comes from Coppola's mother's family, who were musicians from Naples, and Coppola has said that the wine company began as The Family Coppola. The label reflects the family's Italian roots, and Philippe Bascaules is listed as winemaker. Zinfandel and Primitivo are the same grape, which links California to southern Italy. Francis Ford Coppola has described the family's musical background as the source of the Pennino name.