Limerick Lane Cellars: A Healdsburg Gem
Just recently, I had the opportunity to visit Healdsburg; and, of course, tasting wine was a priority. Our first stop that day was Limerick Lane Cellars. This winery is located just 5 minutes outside of downtown Healdsburg (which is also a growing culinary town). Limerick Lane is a 53-acre estate located in the northeast corner of Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley. It’s in a rustic setting that harkens back to earlier times. The tasting room is quaint and relaxed, and they also offer outdoor seating among the vines. Tastings are by appointment only. On this day, we were in the winery itself as the rain had been falling.
Our host, who l enjoyed greatly, is an experienced wine veteran who loves sharing the wine with his guests. Andy has been at Limerick Lane for over five years and fully appreciates the opportunity to share the fine wines produced at the winery. This is a journey themed by Zinfandel. The vines here are almost 100 years old, and that is a great treat that Andy enjoys sharing with visitors. Zinfandel is a varietal that does well in Sonoma. There are many excellent wineries that produce lovely wines from this grape, and Limerick Lane is one of them.
Our tasting was comprised of five wines. We started with a refreshing and luscious white which was 65% Grenache Blanc and 35% Viognier. This wine was delightful and truly set the table for the reds to follow. We then moved to a 100% Zinfandel from the estate and other Russian River vineyards. Then we moved on to a 100% Zin from their Katz vineyard. The star of the tasting for me was the Marquis Zinfandel which was filled with red fruit and a luxurious mouthfeel with a bright finish. Closing out the tasting was the Estate Cuveé. Thiswas the only red blend we tasted. It consists of Zinfandel, Syrah and Petit Syrah. It was a lovely, smooth expression of “the best that Limerick Lane has to offer.”
All these wines were well-crafted and displayed the grace and fruit of Zinfandel. The wines from Limerick Lane are also well-received by the critics. On their website, Limerick Lane lists scores from numerous critics, including Parker’s Wine Advocate, Wine Spectator, Galloni and Jeb Dunnuck.
This is a review of the 2019 Marquis Zinfandel from Jeb Dunnuck, who gave this wine a score of 96 points:
The 2019 Zinfandel Marquis checks in as 100% destemmed Zinfandel coming mostly from the Banfield Vineyard, with smaller components from the Limerick Lane, Bedrock, Sodini, and Carlisle Vineyards. Brought up mostly in neutral barrels (8% new), the wine reveals a translucent ruby/purple color to go with wonderful aromatics of both red and blue fruits, peppery herbs, candied violets, and orange blossom. This is another medium-bodied, incredibly silky, elegant, flawlessly balanced Zinfandel from Limerick Lane that does everything right. Drink bottles any time over the coming decade.
Limerick Lane offers a relaxed setting to explore bright and beautiful expressions of Zinfandel that can be enjoyed now as well as aged. The critics find these wines well worth the time, yet the most important critic is you! Take the time to explore for yourself.
Enjoy!
