• Limerick Lane 2004 Collins Vineyard Zinfandel - 4 out of 4 stars and one of Top Five Best of the Best

  “Superbly balanced wine, full of cherry and raspberry flavors. This Zinfandel is more plush than most claret, but has the same sort of elegance.”

Wine Enthusiast Magazine

• 2002 Collins Vineyard Zinfandel rated 92 Points in the December 15, 2004 issue of Wine Enthusiast Magazine.
  

  "A great Zin, rich and opulent. Floods the mouth with briary blackberry, blueberry, cherry chocolate and pepper flavors that just take over the palate. Yet the wine is dry and balanced, with firm, ripe tannins. One of the best Zins of the year."
  

• 2002 Collins Vineyard Zinfandel ranked #21 of the top 100 wines of 2004 in the December 15, 2004 issue of Wine Enthusiast Magazine

Silver medal,

2005 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition awarded a Silver Medal to the Limerick Lane 2002 Zinfandel, Russian River Valley.

Connoisseur's Guide to Wine

92 LIMERICK LANE Zinfandel Collins Vineyard Russian River Valley 2001 92 points * * (Two Puffs)
Russian River Valley. Finding plenty of compact blackberry and dried plum fruit in its cinnamon and quiet, cherry-influenced aromas, this fairly full-bodied bottling is very nicely balanced from front to back, and its pert, juicy flavors pick up engaging hints of caramel, dark chocolate and toffee along the way. Long in the finish by virtue of its piquant acidity and convincing fruit, it will serve with distinction even now in partnership with pork roasts and chops yet should age well for several years.

California Grapevine
August/September, 2002

2000 Limerick Lane Zinfandel, "Collins Vineyard," Russian River Valley ($26)
Medium ruby; attractive, floral, herbal, spicy, ripe raspberry fruit aroma with good depth and purity of varietal character; medium-full to full body; tight, spicy red raspberry and boysenberry fruit flavors; medium-full tannin; slightly tart and biting on the finish; lingering aftertaste. Very appealing to drink now. Very highly recommended. 14.6% alcohol; 3,340 cases; 100% Zinfandel; released July 2002.
(Group score:16.0, 1/0/3; My Score: 17 [91/100], first place)

North Bay Bohemian

Limerick Lane was voted "Best Zinfandel" in the North Bay Bohemian "Best of 2002" reader's poll.

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Syrah

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Santa Rosa Press Democrat

3 stars "Bright and flavorful. Notes of tart cherry, sweet plum and black pepper. Tastes slightly like a zin. Nice mouth-feel".

Silver Medal

2003 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition awarded a Silver Medal to the Limerick Lane 2000 Syrah, Russian River Valley.

California Grapevine
August/September, 2002

2000 Limerick Lane Syrah, "Collins Vineyard," Russian River Valley ($28)
Medium ruby; attractive, floral, herbal, cedary, youthful, spicy, plummy, somewhat jammy, ripe black cherry and loganberry aroma with notes of vanilla and black pepper; full body; tight, somewhat tart, herbal, peppery, berry fruit flavors with hints of jammy richness; medium-full to full tannin; slightly tart on the finish; lingering aftertaste. Approachable now though deserves several more years of bottle aging. Highly recommended. 14.2% alcohol; 1,463 cases; 100% Syrah; released July 2002.
(Group score: 15.8, 1/1/0; My Score: 16.5 [87/100], fourth place)

Bronze medal,

2005 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition awarded a Silver Medal to the Limerick Lane 2002 Syrah, Russian River Valley.

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1999 Zinfandel

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Gold Medal

2002 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition awarded a Gold Medal to the Limerick Lane 1999 Zinfandel Collins Vineyard Russian River Valley.

Wine Enthusiast

91 Points Limerick Lane 1999 Collins Vineyard Zinfandel (Russian River Valley); $26.
Sugary-earth and anise aromas accent deep blackberry on the nose; in the mouth, this Russian River Valley Zin has bright raspberry and blueberry flavors, kept in check beautifully with oak and dried spice notes. Luscious in the mouth, and sexy overall, it finishes long with loads of blackberry and a little caramel at the very end. Could be even better after a year or two in the cellar.

Ronn Wiegand
Dec.11, 2001

Limerick Lane 1999 Zinfandel Collins Vineyard Russian River Valley - Superb Zinfandel: luscious, very ripely flavored, and well balanced, with intense boysenberry, cherry, plum and oak character. Long finish. [2002-2005]

Wine Spectator
Nov. 15, 2001

87 Points - Limerick Lane Zinfandel Russian River Valley Collins Vineyard 1999 $26 - Concentrated and chewy, with dried raspberry, black currant, chocolate and toasty oak flavors framed by modest tannins. Lingering finish. Drink now through 2005. 2,750 cases made. - J.L.

The California Grapevine
June/July 2001
Vol 27, No. 3

93 Points - Medium-dark ruby; attractive, intense, spicy, cedary, smoky, peppery, jammy, ripe red currant and red berry fruit aroma with overtones of creamy oak; full body; big, forward, intense, plush, jammy, briary, very rich, ripe black cherry and berry fruit flavors with hints of chocolate and a full, appealing mouth feel; well balanced and structured; medium-full tannin; lingering aftertaste. Should continue to develop with another year of bottle aging.

Very Highly Recommended

Ronn Wiegand
Dec.11, 2001

Limerick Lane 1999 Syrah Collins Vineyard Russian River Valley - A luscious, ripely flavored style of Syrah, which has intense blackberry, boysenberry jam, cherry, peppercorn and new oak aromas/flavors. Long finish. Aged 12 months in 40% new French & Hungarian oak barrels. Unfined, unfiltered. 496 cases. [2002-2005]

The Wine Enthusiast
November, 2001
Page 104

90 points. It is supple and goes down easily, but you'll want to drink the Limerick Lane slowly enough to appreciate its complexity. Vanilla-chocolate aromas, plus earthy, meaty (one reviewer called it "barbecue") notes beef up a sour red-fruit bouquet. Creamy chocolate pops up again on the palate, where it melds with other dark toast, mocha, black-cherry and dried spice flavors. Finishes long with sweet vanilla and licorice notes.

Matt Kramer on Structure
The Wine Spectator
November 15, 1999

Limerick Lane Zinfandel

The "rule of good bones" is true for all wines everywhere. It's what separates great wines - never mind the price - from merely showy ones. It's why some wines from low-yielding and less-celebrated wineyard sites can be superior to big-name bottles. Indeed, the very marrow of good bones is a low yield. It gives wine true density, from the vineyard itself.

Wines with great bones are all around us. They're in Chianti and Sicily, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer and Languedoc. Burgundy has unheralded villages, such as Auxey-Duresses and St. Aubin, that have bones (and flesh) that a movie star would envy.

California has a long roll call.... A wine such as Limerick Lane Zinfandel, from Sonoma's Russian River Valley, comes to mind in this category.

Matt Kramer on Terrior
Decanter

To demonstrate that concept of terroir, Kramer selected four wines from small producers. He started off with David Coffaro Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley...

Then he moved on to Limerick Lane Zinfandel Russian River Valley Collins Vineyard 1996, where the wines date from 1910. This wine, which Kramer called "Zinfandel as Pinot Noir," had more delicacy, perfume and purity. "If you tasted these wines side by side, could you confuse them?" Kramer asked. The answer: a definitive "No."

Matt Kramer Five Favorite California wines
Decanter
February 1999, Volume 24, No 6

• Mayacamas Chardonnay
• Foxen Vineyards Cabernet Franc
• Limerick Lane Zinfandel, Russian River Valley
• Roederer Estate's 'Hermitage' Sparkling
• Ridge Vineyards 'Montebello' Cabernet

Matt Kramer Favorite Zinfandel
Diversion
December 2000, p. 90

Of late, California has reaped truck-loads of attention for its so-called cult wines, which command hundreds, even thousands of dollars a bottle at auction. You can't get them, and it's just as well, because they're not worth the frenzied prices. Above all, there's more to great California wine than a handful of Napa Valley cabernets. Try these, for example.

Limerick Lane Zinfandel 1997 or 1998. If I had to choose just one California Zinfandel, I'd reach for Limerick Lane Cellars of Sonoma Country's Russian River Valley. Parts of Limerick Lane's zinfandel vineyard go back to 1910. More important, Limerick Lane zin is all about finesse and elegance. It's the sort of zinfandel a Burgundy lover (e.g., me) would love.

California Grapevine

1. 1998 Limerick Lane "Collins Vineyard," Russian River Valley ($26)
Medium to medium-dark ruby color; attractive, forward, spicy, briary, red currant and berry fruit aroma, medium-full body; big rich, intense, jammy, ripe, raspberry and dark cherry fruit flavors; well balanced; medium-full tannin; lingering aftertaste. Distinctly varietal and developed depth and intensity with airing in the glass. Worth a search to find a few bottles of this very appealing wine. One of the best Zinfandels of the vintage. Very highly recommended. 14.6% alcohol; 2,846 cases; 100% Zinfandel; released July 2000.

(Group Score: 16.5 of 20 points, 9 of 16 first place votes/3 seconds/2 thirds; My Score: 17 [92 of 100 points], first place.)

'The Wine House' says:

1998 Limerick Lane Zinfandel

Ted Markoczy walked through Collins Vineyard with some staff members from the Wine House in early August, pointing to each old vine Zinfandel plant with the same enthusiasm and pride a parent shows for their children. Collins Vineyard is a unique, specific site within the Russian River Valley appellation that produces flavors and aromas that are consistent with each vintage. It is a textbook example of the influence terroir has on zinfandel. The 1998 Collins Vineyard Zinfandel from Limerick Lane is a generous wine especially in the raspberry fruit department. Fragrant, ripe berry aromas greet your nose as you dive into the glass. The wine is bright and lush, not at all overripe.

San Francisco Chronicle
November 1, 2000

San Francisco Chronicle lists Limerick Lane as one of their Top 100 wines of the year in 2000

They report: "Blueberries and cream topped with white pepper; lush; will fill your palate but not overwhelm most foods."

The Connoisseur's Guide
Limerick Lane Cellars, 1998 Russian River Valley Zinfandel

Intensely scented with ripe berries, vanilla, cocoa and a touch of coffee, this deeply filled and nicely defined young zin is long on juicy fruit and sweet spice in the mouth. It is quite well balanced and close to lush in feel, and, even if alcohol shows a bit too obviously in its finish, the wine wins top marks for its depth and fruity richness. Drinkable now, it should grow for three or four years.

Draeger's Epicures

"The Amazing, Awesome 1997 California Zinfandels!"

"If you had to ask us what is our favorite California Zinfandel, year in and year out, we'd have to say Limerick Lane has consistently produced superb Zins since 1986. We hate saying this, but the 1997 version may be their best ever! This wine is a result of the labor intensive, painstaking efforts of owners Michael Collins and Ted Markoczy, and their old vines dating back to 1910.

Michael and Ted believe in a selective harvest over a long period to ensure even ripeness, hand punch-downs during fermentation, no filtering or fining, and they never adjust their Zinfandel. The effort shows in the wine's very intense, vibrant aromas of black cherry, raspberry, plum and spice, and in its lovely, rich, focused flavors. There is a ton of fruit here (even a little vanillin oak for good measure), yet the wine remains extremely well-balanced in spite of itself. The best part may be the finish -- it just never seems to stop. Take our advice -- this is a must buy!  $21.99

Peter Marks, M.W.
Wine Director

California Grapevine
April-May 1999

"Tasting Notes on New Releases -- Zinfandel"

"1. 1997 Limerick Lane, "Collins Vineyard," Russian River Valley ($22) - Medium to medium-dark ruby color; attractive, forward, rich, intense, briary, slightly jammy, distinctly varietal aroma; medium-full body; fresh herbal, briary, spicy, rich berry fruit flavors; lingering aftertaste. Superior quality. Very enjoyable to drink now though should continue to develop with aother year or two of bottle aging. Very highly recommended. 14.2% alcohol; 3,800 cases; 100% Zinfandel; to be released May 1999. (Group Score: 16.2 of 20 points, 6 of 16 first-place votes/1 second/0 thirds; My Score 17 [92 of 100 points], first place)"

Wine & Spirits
October 1999

Score 91, 1997 Limerick Lane Russian River Valley Collins Vineyard.
"From the meadow into the dark woods; first you get the floral scent of day lilies, then you get deeper into the saturated fruit, with its flavors of woodsy dark berries and dried figs. It's jammed with fruit richness, nailed into a tannic structure that will hold it for years to come. Round and hard. A powerful zin."