Amador County
2021 Iron Hub “Old Vine” Zinfandel
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 is 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 2025! 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
Pulled this “Old Vine” Zinfandel to enjoy with a baked thick cut pork chop. Used a modified dry rub as not to be too spicy for the pork but still flavorful. Ingredients for the rub included brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, sea salt, black pepper, and a pinch of chili powder. Browned in a skillet and then baked. Served with a drizzle of sweet chili sauce. Accompanied by baked potato wedges using Russet potatoes cut into eights, olive oil, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, sea salt, black pepper and finely grated parmesan cheese. Also, a fresh Cesar salad was served. This Zinfandel was strong enough with its acidity and subtle tannins to stand up to the thick cut pork chop and with its fruit, engulfed each bite with fruit. The balance of the wine with the pork with sweet chili sauce was exquisite. An excellent food and wine pairing this evening.
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
2021 Iron Hub Winery Chardonnay – A Great Wine and Perfect Match for Blackened Ahi
The Winery
Photo of Spencer, Beth and Tom (L to R) from Iron Hub Winery 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 with view of snowcapped Sierra’s in background
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. Thus, 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.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
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 form 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 affords me creative control from the vine to the bottle”.
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Chardonnay typically does not do well in the warmer climate of Amador County and when first was offered it I was taken back. It was explained that the vineyard for this wine is in Amador County but located at a much higher elevation called Spanish Creek vineyard in the Sierras at an elevation of 2700 feet. The cooler climate is ideal for producing exquisite Chardonnay grapes.
The small lot 2021 Chardonnay on the eyes was a golden straw color with medium viscosity. The first aroma on the nose was like a lightning strike! Fruits of green apple and pear shouted out their presence in the glass. Secondary flavor of dry apricots was also present. From the first sip a creamy textural wine with previously mentioned fruits came together like a well-orchestrated symphony. Added to the mix was vanilla which was just slightly present on the nose and became infused in the glass with gentle oak overtones. The finish was long, poised and glamorous like a family portrait with a hint of brioche. It sells for $34 a bottle and for my money an excellent price for such high-quality wine. It comes in at 14.7% alcohol.
Aged in 34% new French oak barrels and the remainder being neutral French oak. Held in the barrels for 12 months and went through 100% malolactic fermentation. Immediately, this wine made my annual list of Best Wines Tasted in 2025 (list out mid-December). This will make three years running their Chardonnay has made the annual list.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
If you want more oak in your Chardonnay, on a recent visit to Iron Hub Winery, we saw something new on their menu and asked if we could taste their Proprietary Reserve Chardonnay ($48) which I did not know they made. An excellent wine being 16 months in new small French oak barrels, 11 months in bottle. While excellent, for my taste buds it was a bit “too oaky” but still delicious.
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
My wife picked up a fresh ahi steak loin yesterday and last night made a blackened ahi. Placed on the skillet with Canola oil on high heat in cooking white wine. Prepared in advance a blackening seasoning with garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, oregano, basil, thyme, cayenne pepper, Himalayan Sea salt and black pepper. Two minutes a side with the seasoning on it and plated with a mixture of cut pineapples, cut Mandarin oranges and green onions. Topped with both black and white sesame seeds and served very rare. The wine welcomed the spiciness of the fish and provided a great counterbalance of cooling refreshment to the fish spices. An extraordinary meal and exquisite wine!
Sláinte,
Michael Kelly