St. Francis Old Vines Zinfandel

Name: St. Francis Old Vines Zinfandel
Brand: St. Francis Winery
SKU: 005542506a56389bbe482f39baf0de88
Price: 6.09 EUR
Availability: InStock
Rating: 89 (82 reviews)

Sonoma County, USA

- Avg Price (ex-tax)
- € 18 / 750ml

3.5 from 108 User Ratings
89 / 100 82 Critic Reviews
Style Red - Rich and Intense
Grape Variety Zinfandel
Food Pairing Lamb

- Several important critics have rated this Sonoma County wine highly.
  
  Critic tasting note: (2021 vintage) "This Zin has a lovely aroma of maraschino cherry and chocolate on the nose and possesses a richer, more tannin-driven palate than some of its peers. There's a delicate balance between the juiciness of the brighter flavors and the dryness of the finish." - Wine Enthusiast
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Highlights

Winery

St. Francis Winery

76 products ranged between €12 - €76 (Avg. price ex tax)

Region or Appellation

Sonoma County

North Coast / California / USA

Grape Variety / Blend

Zinfandel

Zinfandel and Primitivo After 30 years of discussion and...

Style

Red Wine

Red - Rich and Intense

Food Pairing

Lamb

Lamb is a natural partner for many red wines, although there are...

- This wine has won many awards: the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition awarded the 2022 vintage Double Gold and the 2021 vintage Gold.
- Several important critics have rated this Sonoma County wine highly.
- - This is one of the most popular wines from the region (with Wine-Searcher users). This wine has increased in popularity over the past year.

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Details

Analytical Data

Alcohol ABV: 14.5 - 16%

Production Attributes

Old vines

Ownership: Kopf family

Awards

(10)

Bronze

2020 Vintage

Awarded: 2025

International Wine & Spirit Competition

Double Gold

2022 Vintage

Awarded: 2025

San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition

Gold

2021 Vintage

Awarded: 2024

San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition

Silver

2020 Vintage

Awarded: 2023

San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition

Gold

2020 Vintage

Awarded: 2023

The TEXSOM International Wine Awards

Gold

2020 Vintage

Awarded: 2023

Press Democrat North Coast Wine Challenge

Rhubarb/strawberry pie.

Gold

2020 Vintage

Awarded: 2023

Sunset International Wine Competition

Silver

2019 Vintage

Awarded: 2022

San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition

Silver

2019 Vintage

Awarded: 2022

International Women's Wine Competition

Silver

2019 Vintage

Awarded: 2022

Press Democrat North Coast Wine Challenge

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Suggested Dishes to Pair With This Wine

Pigeon pastilla Starter Course: Contains: pistachio, cinnamon; Moroccan

Tortilla, beef Main Course: Contains: coriander; Mexican

Blue Grey T-bone Main Course: Marbled, tender and flavourful beef from the Blue Grey, a hybrid breed from Scotland and northern England; Western

Lamb meatballs Main Course: Worldwide

Details

Analytical Data

Alcohol ABV: 14.5 - 16%

Production Attributes

Old vines

Ownership: Kopf family

Awards

(10)

Bronze

2020 Vintage

Awarded: 2025

International Wine & Spirit Competition

Double Gold

2022 Vintage

Awarded: 2025

San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition

Gold

2021 Vintage

Awarded: 2024

San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition

Silver

2020 Vintage

Awarded: 2023

San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition

Gold

2020 Vintage

Awarded: 2023

The TEXSOM International Wine Awards

Gold

2020 Vintage

Awarded: 2023

Press Democrat North Coast Wine Challenge

Rhubarb/strawberry pie.

Gold

2020 Vintage

Awarded: 2023

Sunset International Wine Competition

Silver

2019 Vintage

Awarded: 2022

San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition

Silver

2019 Vintage

Awarded: 2022

International Women's Wine Competition

Silver

2019 Vintage

Awarded: 2022

Press Democrat North Coast Wine Challenge

See more See less

Critics Scores & Reviews

(82)

All vintages

89 / 100

82 scores

95 - 100

90 - 94

85 - 89

80 - 84

75 - 79

0 - 74

88 / 100 Wine Enthusiast

2021 Vintage Tasted: Jul 2024

This Zin has a lovely aroma of maraschino cherry and chocolate on the nose and possesses a richer, more tannin-driven palate than some of its peers. There's a delicate balance between the juiciness of the brighter flavors and the dryness of the finish.

About Wine Enthusiast

88 / 100 Owen Bargreen

2020 Vintage Tasted: May 2023

When to drink: 2023 to 2026

This shows a soft mouthfeel with approachable black fruit and coffee ground flavors, with light tannins and underlying acidity. Drink now.

About Owen Bargreen

91 / 100 Wine Enthusiast

2020 Vintage Tasted: May 2023

Built for further aging or rich protein dishes, this firmly tannic and well-concentrated wine wraps a good core of blackberries, blueberries and dark chocolate in fine-grained tannins. Decant if you want to drink it now, or enjoy from 2025.

About Wine Enthusiast

90 / 100 Wine Review Online

2017 Vintage Tasted: May 2020

A longstanding treasure among Sonoma’s fine wine estates, St. Francis was founded in 1971. ”Old Vines” Zinfandel exemplifies why St. Francis is often referred to as “The House of Big Reds” for this particular Zinfandel is indeed big, as well as very dry, with dark red and black fruits along with a hint of licorice shining through. (Marguerite Thomas)

About Wine Review Online

90 / 100 Wine Enthusiast

2013 Vintage Tasted: Jan 2016

For a large-production wine meant to be widely distributed and enjoyed, this brawler hits it out of the park in savory leather and juicy tannin. Just the right dusting of cinnamon appears atop the full-bodied black fruit.

About Wine Enthusiast

92 / 100 Wine Review Online

2012 Vintage Tasted: Feb 2015

St. Francis doesn’t make a lot of different bottlings — they prefer to concentrate on making great wines at affordable prices in quantities that make them easy to find. This is a great Zin — it’s very shy initially, but opens to deep black cherry, with leaf and soft spice notes. There’s great depth and richness in this serious wine. It seems very young, and has a long life ahead. Well done!(Rich Cook)

About Wine Review Online

88 / 100 Wine Enthusiast

2012 Vintage Tasted: Jan 2015

Dense, juicy and spicy, this easygoing and easy-to-like wine will please a range of palates. Blackberry and black cherry dominate on the palate, softened by fine tannins and integrated oak.

About Wine Enthusiast

88 / 100 Wine Enthusiast

2011 Vintage Tasted: Jan 2014

A blockbuster style of Zin from three vineyard sites, all relatively old vine, this is zesty on the palate, a mix of berry compote and cinnamon and black pepper spice. Not too dense, it is hearty and big-shouldered.

About Wine Enthusiast

85 / 100 Wine Enthusiast

2010 Vintage Tasted: Jan 2013

High alcohol gives this wine distinct heat, as well as a sweet, glycerine-driven edge. The wild blackberry, prune and pepper flavors are characteristic of ripe Zinfandel.

About Wine Enthusiast

89 / 100 Wine Enthusiast

2009 Vintage Tasted: Jan 2012

A huge, kick butt Zinfandel, packed with sweet berry, bacon, black pepper and smoky cedar flavors. There's absolutely nothing shy about it. Packs a real punch all the way through to the spicy finish. Good price for a Sonoma Zin this classic.

About Wine Enthusiast

87 / 100 Wine Enthusiast

2007 Vintage Tasted: Jul 2011

A classic high-alcohol Sonoma Zin. It's dry and full-bodied, with mouthfilling flavors of wild berries, anise or licorice, red currants, mocha, briary tobacco and sandalwood, liberally spiced with black pepper. Drink now for freshness.

About Wine Enthusiast

82 / 100 Wine Enthusiast

2005 Vintage Tasted: Jan 2008

Simple and harsh in texture, with wild berry, cola and pepper flavors wrapped into hard, green tannins that make the aftertaste bitter.

About Wine Enthusiast

83 / 100 Wine Enthusiast

2004 Vintage Tasted: Jan 2007

With ripe cherry-berry and tobacco-spice flavors, this is a bit hot in alcohol and rustic in astringent tannins. But give it the right greasy food, such as barbecue ribs, and it will rise to the occasion.

About Wine Enthusiast

88 / 100 Wine Enthusiast

2001 Vintage Tasted: Jan 2003

Smooth and ripe, with plum, cherry, blackberry, cassis and chocolate flavors at the fore. Tannins are a tad rustic, but the wine is quite pleasurable to drink.

About Wine Enthusiast

86 / 100 Wine Enthusiast

2000 Vintage Tasted: Jan 2003

From various vineyards with a minimum age of 50 years, and all the vines are head-trained. This dark wine is built along solid lines, a big, tough Zin with stubborn tannins. It's lean in flavor, most likely due to the vintage, but should soften and sweeten in time.

About Wine Enthusiast

91 / 100 Gismondi on Wine

1999 Vintage Tasted: Mar 2002

Very spicy, peppery, barnyard, leather, with blackberry jam, cherry cola, licorice and crushed herbs. Ripe, moderately tannic but ripe with big spicy, cedary, vanilla mocha, black cherry flavours and an earthy, peppery, blackberry finish. Moderately elegant with young, smooth tannins, needs a few more years to round out and will improve. (Anthony Gismondi and Stuart Tobe).

About Gismondi on Wine

88 / 100 Wine Enthusiast

1999 Vintage Tasted: Jan 2002

In the absence of official regulations regarding the use of the term “old vines,” St. Francis insists on 50 or more years of age. These vines run closer to 80. The wine is concentrated and dense, with spicy berry flavors. It's dry and balanced. Acids are soft.

About Wine Enthusiast

91 / 100 Wine Enthusiast

1998 Vintage Tasted: Jan 2001

Intense, alcoholic, and wonderfully complex, with layers of toast, spice and fruit. The vines range from 50 to 80 years old or more; the wine is robust, balanced and muscular. St. Francis makes a flat-out wonderful Zin year after year, vintage after vintage, big and bellisimo.

About Wine Enthusiast

90 / 100 Wine Enthusiast

1997 Vintage

This perennial winner featuresalcohol and showcases ripe, rich black-cherry and plum fruit, with lots of smoky oak. Its appealing open, round structure leads into a big finish with gobs of fat, flavorful oak that carries on for a long, long time. This one can handle the alcohol.

About Wine Enthusiast

85 / 100 Wine Enthusiast

2002 Vintage

This is a solid Sonoma Zin, exhibiting a classic profile of full-bodied wild berry flavors, a dry, firmly tannic mouthfeel and a spicy, peppery finish. It could have greater concentration, though.

About Wine Enthusiast

89 / 100 Wine Spectator

2022 Vintage Tasted: Jun 2025

About Wine Spectator

90 / 100 Wine Spectator

2021 Vintage Tasted: Jul 2024

About Wine Spectator

88 / 100 Wine Spectator

2020 Vintage Tasted: Mar 2023

About Wine Spectator

90 / 100 Wine Spectator

2019 Vintage Tasted: Aug 2022

About Wine Spectator

Where more than 24 Critics scores exist, only the first 24 are displayed.

For completeness we may include critic scores in our aggregation that we do not display.

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User Ratings

(108)

3.5

108 ratings

St. Francis Old Vines Zinfandel, Sonoma County, USA

Very Good

2019 Vintage Saved: 8-Apr-2024

Delicious! Dark cherries, blackberries, blackpepper, with a luscious mouthfeel.

Very Good

2019 Vintage Saved: 15-Jan-2023

Jammy and spicy. Dare I say a hint of cola?

Very Good

2018 Vintage Saved: 4-Dec-2022

Rich and intense. Plum with lots of spice! Wow!

Excellent

Saved: 28-Feb-2022

2018 wonderfully mellow

Good

2016 Vintage Saved: 22-Feb-2022

A simple and low-priced red that’s suitable for weekday dinners, the casual BBQ or table. Lacks depth, but otherwise decent.

Good

2013 Vintage Saved: 14-Feb-2021

Raspberry and pepper. Light and great taste!

Fair

2017 Vintage Saved: 6-Apr-2020

Like don’t love. Too peppery ?

Excellent

2017 Vintage Saved: 2-Mar-2020

Very rich and robust

Good

2016 Vintage Saved: 9-May-2019

A simple and low-priced red that’s suitable for weekday dinners, the casual BBQ or table. Lacks depth, but otherwise decent.

Very Good

Saved: 19-Feb-2017

Smooth

Vintages Learn more

Browse through and learn what happened during different wine vintages. A useful resource for hunting down that rare bottle or a birthday-year wine for a loved one’s special day.

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Price History

Worldwide average retail price per 750ml, ex tax EUR € from Dec 2023 to Nov 2025

Current Product

St. Francis Old Vines Zinfandel Sonoma County, USA

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Number of offers from our merchants from Dec 2023 to Nov 2025

Current Product

St. Francis Old Vines Zinfandel Sonoma County, USA

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Zinfandel from Sonoma County

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Search Rank Over Time

Popularity relative to other wines, spirits and beers , irrespective of vintage, based on the number of searches from Dec 2023 to Nov 2025

Current Product

St. Francis Old Vines Zinfandel Sonoma County, USA

Benchmark

Zinfandel from Sonoma County

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Wine-Searcher also produces detailed reports for market insights into the industry.Learn more

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