Amador Wines
2021 Iron Hub “Old Vine” Zinfandel – One of My Favorite Spicy and Dry Zinfandel Wines
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. Only 214 cases were produced. The grapes came from the Baldinelli vineyard which is dry-farmed and planted over 55 years ago.
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 from the cellar last night to have with dinner as the bold acidity of the wine allows it to cut through the fats, oils and richness of the Bolognese sauce. The sauce started at 9 am and left simmering all day on the stove. Ingredients included lean hamburger, ground Italian pork, bacon, chopped celery, chopped carrot, minced garlic cloves, olive oil, chopped onions, chopped fresh thyme, red wine, bay leaves, beef broth and tomato puree.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Served with whole wheat spaghetti pasta and topped with fresh Parmesan cheese. Accompanied by roasted garlic French bread topped with sesame seeds.
Having a medium-bodied Zinfandel with its acidity cuts right through the richness of the sauce, and at the same time, its fruit notes enhance the roasted tomato and meat flavors making it a wonderful and savvy match!
The 2021 Iron Hub “Old Vine” Zinfandel made my list of Best Wines Tasted during the year for the last two years. Recently, I tasted their 2022 and that also will make my list for 2025.
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.
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 winemaker. Today, they established a dynamic father-son winemaking team. Spencer enjoys the demand of 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.
Sláinte,
Michael
A Fall Day in Amador Valley Wine District – Sobon Estate, Iron Hub Winery and Rombauer Vineyards Visits
Background:
Last week a couple of us decided to venture to Amador Valley wine district a little over an hour drive from our homes. This started with Sobon Estate winning the Best White Wine from the four Sierra foothill counties: Calaveras, Amador, Placer and El Dorado. The award came from over 480 wines entered in the Folsom Wine Fest Competition where I participate as one of the judges. I personally have not been a Viognier wine fan, but this one as they say was an “aha moment” at the competition.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
First stop was Sobon Estate located at 14430 Shenandoah Road in Plymouth. The winery, a family operation, opened in 1977 and has expanded considerably since.
While there besides the Viognier we tasted just a couple of the wines recommended by their attentive and knowledgeable staff, Teri and Chris.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Next stop was a favorite of mine for the last 3-4 years, Iron Hub Winery. While all their wines are delicious, the two outstanding wines that I have consistently stocked in the cellar are their Chardonnay and Old Vine Zinfandel. Both have made my annual Best Wines Tasted for the last few years. While there tasting a few others in their lineup as well as ordering some cheeses and other tidbits.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
And
Photo ©Michael Kelly
They were just finishing up the last of Barbara grapes picked early that morning. Spencer Jones, winemaker, invited us to sample a few of the grapes waiting for process that were scrumptious!
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Our last stop was Rombauer Vineyards tasting room. The evening before venturing to Amador, we had a Rombauer Food & Wine Pairing dinner and Rachael Akerley asked us to stop by. We were served some of the rarer and limited production wines offered by Rombauer. While generally considering Rombauer a “large and commercial winery” they do make artisan and boutique wines that are very good. Here are just a couple of wines tasted Le Meilleur du Chai translated the Best of the Cellar ($175/bottle) and a comparison of 2013 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and a 2019 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon – all three were excellent.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Overall, a great way to spend a Friday afternoon on a beautiful fall day.
Here are some previous stories on the three wineries visited:
Sobon Estate
Iron Hub Winery
https://californiawinesandwineries.com/2025/05/27/iron-hub-winery-with-live-music-in-amador-county/
https://californiawinesandwineries.com/2025/07/26/2021-iron-hub-old-vine-zinfandel/
Rombauer
Sláinte,
Michael Kelly
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