Joseph Filippi Winery & Vineyards

Brothers Joseph “J.P.” and Gino Filippi of Rancho Cucamonga recently celebrated their family’s 83rd anniversary in the wine business. Along with their winemaking team, Marc Lurton of Chateau Reynier in Bordeaux, Tish Cooper and Dr. Fred S. Nury, they look to old vine Zinfandel, Grenache, Mourvedre, and Alicante along with newer plantings of Bordeaux varietals as well as Grenache Noir, Syrah, Petite Sirah, and Tannat for their stable of wines from this off-the-beaten path appellation in Southern California. Gino Filippi wrote the petition that resulted in Cucamonga Valley becoming an American Viticultural Area in 1995.

Long looked to as a source for superior Zinfandel, this limited release is sourced from three local vineyards, all with low-yielding, dry-farmed, head-trained 75+ year old vines. Sitting on the fence between the trendy full-throttle, trophy style lionized by the “big boys” and the more restrained, understated styles consumed more often at the table, it is bright vivid ruby, full-bodied, unctuous, and port-like (15.9% alcohol). It has raspberry jam, cherry, cranberry, boysenberry, and vanilla notes, a very juicy core, and a long, bright, tarry finish.

Reviewed October 20, 2006 by Catherine Fallis.