The 30 Best Zinfandels for 2026

Though Zinfandel’s rich history reaches back to the vineyards of Croatia, the grape variety has had a massive impact on wine drinking culture in the U.S. Originally brought to California by a Boston ship captain, the Zinfandel grape carried winemakers through the Gold Rush and through the evolution of California wine country. Though Cabernet Sauvignon took over as the variety dominating the conversation around California wine, there are still some producers who embrace Zinfandel as one of the state’s most important grapes.

Because of this history, California boasts a number of hidden pockets of old vine plantings that date back 50 to over 100 years. The wines made from these sites often have the term “old vines” on the label to indicate the grapes were sourced from one of these longstanding plots. On this list, you’ll see families that have been farming this grape for generations, long before Cab was king.

From bottles that showcase Zinfandel’s bold, ripe fruit character to those that feature a more restrained side — plus a few from its original home in Croatia — here are the 30 best Zinfandels to drink in 2026.

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How We Compiled This List

In order to provide our readers with the most comprehensive and thoroughly tested list of the best Zinfandels to buy, VinePair invited producers, distributors, and PR firms working on their behalf to send samples for consideration. These bottles were submitted free of charge — producers didn’t pay to submit nor did VinePair pay for the products. All were requested with the clear understanding that submission does not guarantee inclusion in the final list.

For the Zinfandel roundup, we assigned a score to each product on a 100-point scale based on the quality and intensity of its aromas, flavors, texture, and finish. Then we reviewed all scores and compiled an editorially driven list that meets our criteria of best Zinfandels to buy right now. Each wine was assessed on quality, price, and availability to compile the final list.

The Best Value Zinfandel

Cline Family Cellars Ancient Vines Zinfandel 2024

This wine comes from a disappearing AVA. Contra Costa Valley is there, but the threat of urban development is real because of its proximity to the San Francisco Bay. For wine historians and preservationists, this land is part of America’s deep wine history. Most of the vines here are 100 to 140 years old, first planted in the mid-19th century. Bottles are on the market right now from vineyards that no longer exist.

Families like the Clines, among others, are trying to keep this vineyard land alive with bottles like the Ancient Vines Zinfandel. It captures the history of how we became a wine-drinking culture and is a worthy purchase to help preserve our viticultural history. The Zin grapes are sourced from a vineyard located on the sandy banks of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, with some vines reaching well over 100 years old. The result is a wonderfully concentrated wine, with impressively rich character for its under-$25 price point. It has a savory nose with blackberry and tea notes. It also has a hint of aged balsamic and vanilla bean. The palate is delicious and juicy, with soft fruit supported by medium acidity. This is a wine you should buy a lot of and have on hand to impress your friends with awesome American wine.

Average Price: $22
Rating: 95

The Best Splurge Zinfandel

Matthiasson Old Vine Zinfandel 2022

Last year we dubbed the Gagnon-Kennedy Monte Rosso Zinfandel as the most splurge-worthy. It made this list again this year, and it was a joy to experience the vintage variation. It is still a big, beautiful, powerful Zin. So this year we’re spotlighting a wine of the same caliber, but a completely different style.

Steve and Jill Matthiasson started Matthiasson Wines in Napa in 2003 with the goal of working with sustainable farming practices to make balanced, refined wines in a region more known for its bold, high-ABV wines. And with this Zinfandel, they show a wonderfully light, focused example of the variety.

Grapes for this bottling were sourced from Sonoma’s Armor Plate Vineyard, a dry farmed, organic vineyard that was planted in the 1890s. It is a stunning example of Zinfandel, with crushed wild berries and cured black olives flecked with a light dusting of peppercorns. The palate is a study in balance and restraint, with a soft, elegant mouthfeel that still pronounces its personality, medium fruit depth, and almost perfect acidity. This wine is in complete harmony.

Average Price: $60
Rating: 98

The Best of the Rest:

The Best Zinfandels Under $30

Tortoise Creek Organic Zinfandel 2023

In a rush and need a solid red wine for dinner? This is your bottle. At this price, the variety on the label is often lost to large-scale production. But Zinfandel thankfully refuses to be pushed to the back, with its character coming through loud and clear in this 100 percent varietal wine. It’s easy drinking and balanced. While not the most complex, it gives everything you might want from a casual weeknight wine, with plush fruit, soft tannins, and good acidity.

Average Price: $14
Rating: 91

Sixteen 600 Enrico Valentine 2023

Phil Coturri was farming organically and biodynamically before it was cool, or at least since 1979. The Sixteen 600 winery is a Coturri family project started in 2007 to continue this amazing legacy, making small-batch, single-vineyard wines from organic sites across Sonoma. This wine blends Zinfandel with a splash of Grenache and Petite Sirah, creating a rich, juicy wine with pops of freshness. There’s clove, cracked black pepper, wild berry jam, and a touch of cinnamon on the nose. It has a soft, rich mouthfeel with an easy tannic frame, letting the fruit and acidity shine.

Average Price: $25
Rating: 94

Basina Tribidrag 2023

Though we know the grape variety as Zinfandel in the U.S., it was historically known as Tribidrag in Croatia. This bottling comes from the Dalmatia region, produced by a family that has been tending these vines since the 15th century. It is peppered with plum and blackberry jam aromas on the nose, with a waft of earth. The palate is wonderful, with a rustic edge tamed by beautiful, expressive fruit. It’s making me hungry just typing this.

Average Price: $28
Rating: 95

Tony Coturri The Founder Series Red Blend NV

This wine is not 100 percent Zinfandel, but this wine is a nod to American wine history, whether owner Tony Coturri intended it or not. (Yes, Tony is brother to Phil of Sixteen 600 above.) This blend of Zinfandel, Merlot, and Grenache is a testament to California’s past field blends. Notably, the wine is a non-vintage bottling, something rarely seen in red wines, incorporating vintages reaching back to 2010. This unique composition creates a layered, complex wine with a mix of notes alternating between fruit and earth with pepper, fresh soil, blackberry jam, and stewed plums.

Average Price: $28
Rating: 92

The Best Zinfandels Under $50

Buckel Family Wine Zinfandel 2023

Founders Joe and Shamai Buckel have California winemaking experience, but decided to pursue their love of the outdoors and set up shop in Colorado. Sourced from the Dallas Black Vineyard in Palisade, Colo., this high-elevation Zinfandel is unlike anything you’ve had. The nose has sweet beetroot, peppery blackberry jam, and crunchy fall leaves. The mouthfeel is very Zinfandel, with soft, jammy fruit and a slight tannic edge.

Average Price: $38
Rating: 92

Girard Old Vine Zinfandel 2022

Though Napa Valley is best known for its Cabernet now, Girard Winery knows how important Zin’s presence is to the region’s history. And this Napa Zinfandel comes from the vines still in the ground after half a century or more. This bottling balances mineral-driven acidity, tart raspberry fruit, and the classically rich, soulful depth of Zinfandel.

Average Price: $38
Rating: 95

Concannon Vineyard Reserve Zinfandel 2023

This estate grown Zinfandel is sourced from Concannon’s small, 1.68-acre vineyard in the Livermore Valley, planted on gravel and clay rich soils.The nose is subtle, with soft blackberry notes, but on the palate, the wine comes alive with flavors of sweet, spiced strawberry jam, clove, and blood orange. It has a subtle tannic edge and beautifully supportive acidity. The finish lingers with a savory impression.

Average Price: $40
Rating: 95

St. Amant Zinfandel Reserve 2024

Centenarian, own-rooted vines, thriving in sandy soils, are what Stuart Spencer stewards, as his parents, Tim and Barbara Spencer, did before him. This wine is a small-plot expression of Zinfandel’s Lodi terroir, sourced from the sustainably farmed, head-trained vines of Marian’s Vineyard, which was planted in 1901. The wine offers an earthy nose with notes of mixed berries, sage, and coffee brewing in the distance. The palate is so well balanced, and easy-drinking, with a savory vibe and soft, deep fruit.

Average Price: $40
Rating: 96

Harney Lane Vineyards Zinfandel 2023

A family in Lodi sells fruit for a century, and one generation realizes why they sell so much. Because it’s good! In 2006, Jorja Lerner and her husband Kyle Lerner officially established the Harney Lane brand to make 100 percent estate-grown and bottled wines. From the Scottsdale vineyard in Lodi’s sandy loam soils, this Zin brings aromas of plums, blueberries, and earth on the nose. The palate is elegant, with a slight savory note that is very inviting. The balance between fruit and acid is impeccable.

Average Price: $42
Rating: 96

Mauritson Wines Grower’s Reserve Zinfandel 2023

The Mauritson family has been farming grapes in Sonoma’s Dry Creek Valley for six generations, reaching back to 1868. For the Grower’s Reserve Zinfandel, winemaker Emma Swain and owner Clay Mauritson choose the best barrels for this small-production wine as a tribute to past generations. It has a savory nose of briny olives and cracked black peppercorns, with bright notes of stone fruit and raspberries. The mouthfeel is balanced and calm, with beautiful fruit depth and supportive acidity.

Average Price: $42
Rating: 95

Wood Family Big Wood Zinfandel 2023

Livermore Valley is a unique AVA in that many of the wineries are still family-owned. Rhonda and Michael Wood began their journey here in 2000, focusing on small-batch boutique wines after years in the airline industry. The “Big Wood” Zinfandel is aged in 25 percent new oak for 17 months, adding texture and a notes of spice and mocha. The palate has a slight sweet kiss, with ripe plums and blackberries wrapped in notes of nutmeg, clove, and dark chocolate.

Average Price: $42
Rating: 93

Zlatan Otok Crljenak 2020

Zinfandel came from afar; it traveled all the way to California from Croatia, where it is called Crljenak or Tribidrag. We love celebrating the origins of one of our most revered varieties, now uniquely American. This wine comes from one of Croatia’s most historic and critically acclaimed wineries, based on the beautiful island of Hvar. This bottling may need either some extra time in the bottle or a decanter, but eventually reveals aromas of savory earth, autumnal spices, and a subtle plum note. The palate is full-bodied but balanced, with rich, ripe fruit and grippy tannins.

Average Price: $45
Rating: 93

Kokomo Winery Pauline’s Vineyard Zinfandel 2025

Zinfandel is everywhere in California, and it shows itself in different ways depending on where it’s grown and who is making the wine. This particular bottling comes from Pauline’s vineyard on Dry Creek Road; Kokomo’s co-founder and grower Randy Peters was born on this property and named the vineyard after his mother. Together with winemaker Erik Miller, they craft a distinct expression of Zinfandel, brimming with chocolate-covered cherries, ripe raspberries, and a hint of spice. The palate is fleshy and juicy, with a soft tannic edge and exceptional fruit balance.

Average Price: $46
Rating: 96

Ridge Vineyards Paso Robles Zinfandel 2024

Ridge and Zinfandel go hand in hand. The winery has always championed this grape, focusing on site-specific expressions from across California’s distinct terroirs. Here, Ridge hones in on Paso Robles’ sunsoaked vineyards and rocky soils. It has a focused nose with blackberries, olives, and a hint of citrus. Let it breathe for a few hours, or even overnight, and the wine comes alive with black tea and a hint of mocha. The palate is soft and savory. A slight bite of bitterness on the finish adds to the complexity.

Average Price: $46
Rating: 93

Porter-Bass Estate Zinfandel ‘Dot’s Garden’ Russian River Valley 2020

In 1980, the Bass family bought a run-down property in Guerneville, Calif that dates back to the 1800s. On the property was a small block of old Zinfandel vines. Their idea of an industrial farm took a turn, and they became winemakers, saving this America-ancient plot, now called “Dot’s Garden.” This wine opens with wild berries, leather, and soil on the nose. The palate is light, with a fading tannic frame and a soft, medium-fruited core.

Average Price: $48
Rating: 93

Sky Vineyards Zinfandel 2019

High up on Mount Veeder, the vines of Sky Vineyards soak up the sun and breathe the rare air above the fog line, over 2,000 feet up. This wine shows off its mountain fruit with wild berries, black tea, and a fresh soil waft on the nose. The palate is elegant and juicy, with a nice tart concentration of fruit. The acid is high and the alcohol is in check — coming in at just 12 percent ABV — making for an amazing food wine.

Average Price: $48
Rating: 94

The Best Zinfandels Under $100

Chateau Montelena Estate Zinfandel 2023

This historic Napa winery isn’t only about Chardonnay and Cabernet, it also makes an elegant, wonderfully expressive Zinfandel. This expression offers soft raspberry notes along with a touch of black tea and olives on the nose. The lifted, fresh palate is supported by just the right amount of acidity. If you’re a fan of Chateau Montelena but haven’t tried the winery’s Zinfandel yet, this is a sign to check it out.

Average Price: $50
Rating: 97

Ravenswood MacMurray Ranch Zinfandel 2024

Joel Peterson is back with his original label after letting go of Ravenswood in the early ’90s. The site-specific Zins that made him a household name are back and thriving. This one, from Mac Murray Ranch in Sonoma County, is soft, with bright raspberry and blackberry notes, complemented by touches of vanilla, clove, and sweet baking spices from some time in oak.

Average Price: $50
Rating: 94

Imagery Estate Winery Zinfandel 2023

Imagery has produced the gateway Zinfandel. This wine is so soft and easy to drink while still showing the varietal’s inherent characteristics. Pour this for someone blind and watch them smile. Then tell them what it is, and you have converted another into the Zinfandel cult. Peppery wild berries, olives, and plums. The palate is soft and supple with an easy tannic frame.

Average Price: $53
Rating: 93

Dancing Sonoma ‘Old Vine’ Zinfandel 2024

The mother-daughter team behind Dancing are just getting started. We were introduced to their wines last year and loved them. This year they have gotten even better! This Zinfandel made from 50-plus-year-old vines in Dry Creek Valley has soil and peppery blackberries on the nose, with a hint of anise. The palate is amazingly balanced with fruit and acidity in absolute harmony. It’s a Zin where everything is in its right place.

Average Price: $54
Rating: 96

Overshine Wine Co. Las Cimas Ranch Zinfandel 2023

David Drummond and Sam Bilbro have come together to create Overshine, a wine label focused on site-expressive wines. This Las Cimas Zin comes from the Russian River Valley, grown in sandstone soils, resulting in a focused, well-structured wine. It shows bramble fruit and pepper on the nose, with additional notes of soil and aged balsamic. The mouthfeel is wonderful, with a firm tannic edge running through the wine’s core and contrasting the rich, concentrated fruit. This is a structured, textured Zinfandel that will age well.

Average Price: $55
Rating: 95

Hartford Family Winery Old Vine Zinfandel Russian River Valley 2024

Sourced from choice sites like Fanucchi-Wood Road and Highwire Vineyard in the Russian River Valley, this old vine Zin sees both French and American oak. It has earthy notes of black tea and soil on the nose, leading into a soft, juicy palate. A core of peppery fruit breaks through the oak and pronounces the lithe tannins.

Average Price: $65
Rating: 94

Limerick Lane Cellars 1910 Block Zinfandel 2023

Sitting on the southern edge of the Russian River Valley in Sonoma, the 1910 Block is the vineyard site behind this historic Zinfandel producer’s flagship wine — named for the year it was planted, over 115 years ago. This is a very well-balanced wine; with Zinfandel’s characteristic rich fruit notes mingling with flavors from oak aging. It has a ripe red fruit nose with a dollop of fresh vanilla cream; the palate is soft and fleshy, with more oak spice and very soft tannins.

Average Price: $70
Rating: 93

Clif Family Valle di Sotto Estate Vineyard Zinfandel 2023

Winemaker Laura Barrett crafts this wine to lure Zinfandel skeptics in to see the grape’s full potential. She sources fruit from Napa’s cooler Oak Knoll District and implements longer aging, resulting in a wonderfully balanced, expressive wine. It has juicy, ripe plums with hints of black tea on the nose, along with a judicious dollop of oak. The palate is deep, rich, and seamless, with vibrant acidity and more of that inherent savory Zin character.

Average Price: $75
Rating: 95

Morisoli Vineyard ‘Plinio’s Block’ Zinfandel 2024

When you sip this wine, you are drinking the product of a California heritage site. This bottling comes from Plinio’s Block, a vineyard in the heart of Napa’s Rutherford AVA that was planted in the 1910s. This is as site-specific as it gets, and a historical bottle at that. The nose is floral, with rich wild berry jam and a slight note of anise. The palate is focused and amazingly balanced. The fruit has a soft, medium concentration. This is an American classic.

Average Price: $75
Rating: 97

Seghesio Family Vineyards Montafi Zinfandel 2024

Seghisio is an American wine story. When you stand on its soil, you witness history. The winery still has a lot of early 19th century equipment on display, showing the evolution of a family farm. Turn your head, and you see the vineyards that the winery has tended since 1895. That is where this wine comes from: the Montafi Ranch vineyard, initially planted by Edoardo Seghesio in 1926. The nose is subtle, with cooking spices and floral notes, and a light dusting of freshly cracked black peppercorns. The palate is seamless and extremely balanced, with fruit and acidity in perfect harmony.

Average Price: $75
Rating: 97

Monte Rosso Estate ‘The Essence’ 2024

Moon Mountain, high in the Mayacamas Mountains above the Sonoma Valley, is where these old vines grow. The sun is plentiful, and the air is rare. The result is a deeply savory Zin with bright notes of raspberries, olives, and spiced blackberry jam. The palate has a rustic elegance, with juicy fruit and a dusty, tannic edge. It’s ready to drink now but could benefit from some extra time in the bottle.

Average Price: $78
Rating: 93

Gagnon-Kennedy Monte Rosso Vineyard Zinfandel 2024

The team at Gagnon-Kennedy is showing the Napa wine region that the future is on the horizon. The past isn’t dusty, but something to learn from. This Zinfandel is sourced from the famed Monte Rosso vineyard, with vines dating back to 1866. The nose is welcoming and rich, with dense crushed blackberries and cured black olives. Oak is present but doesn’t impede the grape’s inherent qualities. This is a calmer vintage than the 2023, and it is unbelievable. The absolute focus and balance cannot be overstated. This vintage offers a remarkably soft, plush weight on the palate, with silky tannins and bright acidity to even it out.

Average Price: $86
Rating: 98

FAQs

Where is Zinfandel from?

Originally, the Zinfandel grape was from the country of Croatia. DNA profiling in the late ‘90s shows that it has the same genetic makeup of the native Tribidrag grape, also known as Crljenak Kaštelanski.

Where is Zinfandel grown?

Zinfandel as we know it grows mostly on the West Coast of the United States. It is mostly concentrated in the Dry Creek AVA and the Lodi AVA, though it is prevalent across Sonoma County. It can also be found in smaller quantities in Oregon and Washington State.

What is old-vine Zinfandel?

There is no official definition for old-vine Zinfandel but it is generally agreed upon that a vine 50 years or older is considered “old” or “ancient.” Some consider 30 years to be enough. Since there are so many historic sites in California, it’s more common to see this designation on Zinfandel bottlings from the state than other grapes.

The article The 30 Best Zinfandels for 2026 appeared first on VinePair.