Levrier 2017 Peritas Zinfandel

The Levrier 2017 Peritas Zinfandel is a beautifully rich and complex wine with a silky finish. It’s the kind of wine that is perfect for a special occasion, and the best part is that it is already aged, so you don’t need to wait to crack it open. It represents Zinfandel beautifully, and shows that we need more of these kinds of wines!

If you’ve been following along for a while you might know that I am a big Zinfandel fan. It was one of the first wines that I fell in love with when I first visited wineries. I know coming from Australia seems weird, but my first winery tour was in California in Sonoma. Before then I hadn’t fully unlocked the magic of wine, and Zinfandel really stole my heart.

But it is hard to find in Australia. Whether it is labelled Zinfandel or Primitivo (same grape, but Italian), there aren’t many wineries producing this incredible grape. So when I noticed that Levrier Wines had a write up about their Zinfandel my ears pricked up. And then Jo offered to send me a bottle to try and it made my week! I could hardly wait to crack into it and let me tell you, it filled that Zinfandel sized hole in my heart and then some!

About Levrier Wines by Jo Irvine

I was first introduced to Levrier Wines many years ago at the Good Food and Wine Show. I remember the wines well because they were delicious, but having grown up with Whippets I was obsessed with the labels (which are greyhounds actually).

As a second-generation winemaker, Jo Irvine started her career early by following her father around the winery. But she ended up pursuing a different career as a theatre nurse until the early 90’s when she decided to follow her ensuring passion for winemaking. A few years later she made her passion her career, working six vintages across the Barossa and California.

In 2014 Jo started pursuing creating her own brand and in 2017 Levrier Wines by Jo Irvine was born. Levrier is the French term for greyhound, and her label is named after this for her love of winemaking and advocacy for greyhounds as pets. A chance encounter with her first greyhound Chilli started her unique journey in celebrating famous greyhounds and quality wines.

What I loved about the Levrier 2017 Peritas Zinfandel

As soon as I picked up this bottle I knew I was going to love it. I mean Jo and I both love Zinfandel! The Levrier 2017 Peritas Zinfandel is an acknowledgement of the wine style that ignited Jo’s passion for winemaking. The wine is named after Alexander the Great’s greyhound who fought a war elephant in one of his military campaigns. In honour of his bravery and faithfulness, he ordered a state funeral for Peritas, named a city after him and had a statue erected in his honour.

This wine is certainly deserving of its noble name! The Levrier 2017 Peritas Zinfandel is a single vineyard wine and crafted to enhance the fruit, with the use of new American and French oak to add complexity to the wine. Where do I even begin? On the nose this wine is fruit-forward. Think notes of cherry, raspberry and strawberry. This follows through into the palate where there is a beautiful spice and a slightly smokey note to balance out the juicy front and add richness and complexity. This wine is complex yet beautifully balanced and has a lovely smoothness to it that finishes off with silky tannins.

This wine is absolutely stunning from the first to the last sip. It has beautiful juicy fruit, almost stewed, and lovely spice with a hint of vanilla to balance this out. I loved unpacking the complexity of it throughout. It’s simply delicious and delivers everything I wanted it to and more.

What to enjoy it with

The Levrier 2017 Peritas Zinfandel is a perfect food wine and something that deserves to be paired with a really nice meal. At this price point, it is the kind of wine to pull out for a special occasion, and with a meal, it will really sing.

In terms of pairings, I can’t think of anything better to pair this wine with than smokey meats or braised meals. Something on the BBQ would be perfect, but I think a braised or roasted meat dish would be even better. Those complex notes in the wine will really cut through the richness of the meat, and make for an incredible meal!

In summary: Levrier 2017 Peritas Zinfandel

The Levrier 2017 Peritas Zinfandel is a beautiful wine that seriously delivers on flavour, complexity and balance. It’s a great alternative to the Barossa Shiraz we are used to in Australia, offering something unique and absolutely delicious to enjoy. Perfect for enjoying a special occasion, this wine would also make a great gift! The beauty is that it already has a few years on it so you don’t even have to wait to enjoy it!

Find out more about this wine at the Levrier by Jo Irvine website.

Note: I was sent this wine as a sample. I was under no obligation to post about it.