Battaglini 'Reserve' Zinfandel, Twin Pines Vineyard, Russian River Valley, California 2015

• WINEMAKER: Dino Battaglini

• FARMING: Sustainable

• VARIETY: 100% Old Vine Zinfandel

• TERROIR: Vines planted in 1885 in mixed clay & dirt. 

• VINIFICATION: Dry farmed, manual harvest. Native yeast fermentation in stainless steel. Two weeks of maceration. Unfined/unfiltered.

• AGING: 3 years aging in French / American oak (225l)

• TASTING NOTES: A vibrant and concentrated nose of chocolate and stewed blueberries mingles with a note of wet earth. The palate is concentrated and rich, with bright acidity. Purple and blue fruits edge into a dried quality, finishing with well integrated and silky tannin and texture. 

• FOOD PAIRINGS: Mole, game meats, lamb biriyani.

From our 2025 Bottle Cult Notes:

Tucked into the Russian River Valley, Battaglini Winery is the living dream of Giuseppe and Lucia Battaglini—a dream rooted in the rolling hills of Tuscany and Mendoza, where each grew up surrounded by vines and winemaking. After meeting in San Francisco in 1961, raising a family, and chasing the vision of recreating that sense of tranquility, they purchased the historic Lagomarsino winery in Sonoma in 1988. To their delight, the vineyards they inherited were planted with Zinfandel and Petite Sirah in 1885 by Italian immigrant Bartholomew Lagomarsino. These head-pruned vines, which are dry-farmed with minimal intervention, are some of the oldest producing vines in the country! 

Now their son, Dino Battaglini—chief vigneron, winemaker, charcuterie maestro, and all-around wildcard host—contunes the traditions of his grandparents and parents, farming the 30-acre estate is farmed organically, hand-harvesting fruit, employing native yeast fermentations, and adding minimal sulfur to his wines to preserve their character and old-world charm. 

Many of the Battaglini wines are patiently cellared before release, like the 2015 Zinfandel featured in this month's club. This Zinfandel, coming from Twin Peaks Vineyard on the family's estate, is as classic as it gets for Russian River Valley Zin. A vibrant and concentrated nose of chocolate and stewed blueberries mingles with an earthy note of damp forest floor and menthol. The palate is concentrated and rich, with bright acidity and aromas of prune and stewed blackberry. It finishes with silky tannins and a smooth texture, making it a lovely pairing for a warming dish like lamb biryani.  —Simi Grewal, DECANT Co-Founder