I always love when I discover new-for-me wineries. But in this case, it’s pretty much a new-for-everybody winery.
You may have heard of Delfino Farms, they’ve been around since the 1960s (under the name Kids Incorporated until 2017). Edio and Joan Delfino founded the business, along with their seven children. Today, second generation Chris Delfino and his four children, Christine, Peter, Benjamin, and Derek own and run the family enterprise.
So, where does wine fit in? According to the Delifino family, founder Edio grew up amongst the vines of St. Helena, studied agriculture in Cal Poly, which is what ultimately brought him to El Dorado County, where the family farm thrives today. Up until recently, it’s been all about apples—fresh apples, apple pie, apple cider. But in 2018, the Delfino’s celebrated their first vintage of wine grape harvest—an occasion that also celebrates the return to the family’s “original” agriculture endeavor. “Dedicated to our hardworking, intelligent, strong, sharp, and driven father and grandfather, Edio Delfino, an inspiration to his entire family.”
Thank you to Christine and the whole Delfino family for sharing this first vintage with me.
These are just quick little tasting notes—but I think these wines were worth the time to taste, are worth the time to review, and (hope) will be worth your time to read about. Cheers.
Edio Vineyards 2018 Primitivo
14.6% ABV
Appearance: pale ruby with just a hint of purple
Aroma: medium (+) intensity, displaying scents of blueberry, raisin, black cherry, black plum, bramble, black currant, tomato leaf, coffee, a hint of leather/tar, and a hint of forest floor
Palate: The wine is dry with high acid, high alcohol, medium tannins, and a medium overall body. The flavor intensity is medium (+) displaying much of the same notes as the aromatic profile, but increasing that smokey/toasty-ness and adding a bit of baking spice as well as some peppery heat
The finish is medium (+) in length.
Conclusion: Based on the WSET criteria, I determined that the Edio Vineyard 2018 Primitivo is very good and certainly has the ability to age. I found the wine very well balanced: the high level of acid wonderfully kept all those fruit components fresh and alive, the higher level of alcohol along with those plushy, and surprisingly light (for a Primitivo in my experience) tannins gave the mouthfeel a sense of plushy-ness—but again because of those fruit flavors, there was still a refreshing quality to it. That being said, I certainly got some secondary and even tertiary notes—that smoke, that forest floor, those hints of dried fruits—all of which added depth and complexity to the wine. The finish was just shy of long, at medium (+).
Oh yeah, and it paired perfectly with my steak and potatoes 😉
Edio Vineyards 2018 Albariño
10% Chardonnay blended in
14.1% ABV
Appearance: medium lemon
Aroma: medium (+) intensity with scents of lemon, apple, pear, lime zest/pith, wet grass, wet stone, and pomelo
Palate: The palate is dry with medium alcohol, high acidity, a medium (-) body and a medium (+) flavor intensity. The flavors perfectly mimic the aromatic notes with that pomelo being elevated just slightly. I also got the addition of white pepper heat, some florals, and just a touch of texture on the tongue. The finish was medium (+)
Conclusion: Based on the WSET criteria, I determined that the Edio Vineyard 2018 Albariño is a good wine that should be enjoyed now. It’s not an overly complex wine, but there’s a wonderful balance of fruit and florals that, again, stay front and center due to that elevated acidity. There’s a bit of body and, as I mentioned, a touch of texture, that certainly adds some intrigue. Again, the finish did fall short of long for me, however, this is such a fun wine, that you’ll be going in for that next sip—so the finish might end up feeling long anyway!
More Info: I received both the Edio Vineyards 2018 Primitivo and Albariño as a sample. Cheers Christine and family! Price: $40 and $25 respectively. Fore more information about Edio Vineyards, their story, their wine, and to purchase wine directly, please visit the Delfino Farms website.
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**Please note: all reviews and opinions are my own and are not associated with any of my places of business. I will always state when a wine has been sent as a sample for review. Sending samples for review on my personal website in no way guarantees coverage in any other media outlet I may be currently associated with.**