2021 Iron Hub Winery “Old Vine” Zinfandel With a Dubious Food Pairing
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The Wine – “Wine is bottled Poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The wine on the eyes was like their “Clockspring” Zinfandel (my previous favorite from Iron Hub) but a shade or two darker and more mysterious. On the nose intense dark cherries and blackberries. Aromas rose up immediately when poured into the glass of cherry and spices. On the palate, ripe juicy plums and soft pipe tobacco. On the finish the dominant flavors were the fruits mentioned being counterbalanced by clove and vanilla notes. Layers and layers of spice integrated nicely with the fruits. This wine provided an unexpected joy and a lingering finish.
The “Old Vine” vintage includes 83% Zinfandel, 10% Petite Sirah, 6% Barbera, and 1% Sangiovese. It was listed at $39/bottle and comes in at 15.9% alcohol. It is aged 13 months in French oak barrels with 20% being new. The grapes come from the nearby Oakmont Vineyard where the vines are 80 years of age. Only 214 cases were produced. The grapes came from the Baldinelli vineyard which is dry-farmed and planted over 55 years ago.
So, without a doubt this Zinfandel from Iron Hub will make my annual Best Wines tasted in 2026! That list comes out each December. This also means it is now a “stocked commodity” in the cellar.
The Food and Wine Pairing – “Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost. United and well matched, they are as body and soul: living partners” – Andre Simon
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Reluctantly pulled this “Old Vine” Zinfandel as it was recommended with a blackened fresh King Salamon filet from Alaska. Normally paired with either a Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay but went with the recommendation. The salmon was cooked on the stove consisting of a mix of two recipes. The ingredients included soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, honey, kosher salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, sesame seeds, coriander, cumin, onion powder and smoked paprika. Served with a salsa of papaya and mandarin oranges. Accompanied by small Yukon potatoes with cheddar cheese.
While the salmon was delicious and the wine being one of my favorites, my initial hesitancy was correct. Iron Hub Zinfandel is a “refined and delicate” Zinfandel, not a big fruit bomb Zinfandel. The intent was to counterbalance the spiciness of blackened fish with the fruit of the Zinfandel. When combined as a food and wine pairing, the Zinfandel got “lost” with the overpowering spices used to blackened the fish. As one of my favorite quote’s states “Adventure may hurt you, but monotony will kill you”. So not a good food and wine pairing for dinner. Held off on the wine until after dinner and it was its normal delicious and wonderful sipping wine.
The Winery
Photo from Iron Hub website
The winery was founded by Tom Jones from Lava Cap Winery fame in the Apple Hill area near Placerville. Tom completed his master’s degree in Viticulture & Enology from UC Davis, and for almost 30 years developed award-winning wines. Tom and his wife Beth’s new endeavor began in 2014 with the purchase of the 33-acre property that had been known as Amador Foothill Winery. Having control of the grapes from vineyard to bottle was key in his quest for quality control with 17 acres planted in vines.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The name of the winery came from Tom’s mountain sojourns in the area. On an adventure he discovered an antique, hand-forged wagon wheel hub in a remote area. This small winery on Steiner Road drew a parallel with his goal of making small lot artisan wines like the craftsmanship of the “iron hub” he found on a walk. The beautiful new tasting room was opened in December 2017.
Spencer, their son, following in his father’s footsteps by also graduating from UC Davis with a master’s degree from the Department of Viticulture and Enology, is the winery’s Assistant winemaker. Today, they established a dynamic father-son winemaking team. Tom and Spencer enjoy and demand a hands-on approach to every aspect of the winemaking process, from tending the grapes in the estate vineyards to carefully crafting both red and white wines. They recently added 10 acres managing the Spanish Creek site they are leasing. Having now 27 acres of “estate property” to manage is keeping them very busy. Tom has stated that “Our estate vineyards offer me creative control from the vine to the bottle”.
Sláinte,
Michael Kelly
https://californiawinesandwineries.com