What is Dornfelder you ask? That’s a good question. It’s a dark skinned grape originating in Germany. It’s the second most grown red wine grape in Germany and used to add pigment to pale wines. Germany’s viticulture is geared more toward white and pale red wines, otherwise. Dornfelder is not widely known in the US, however, it’s now able to be classified as it’s own varietal on Dornfelder wines produced in the US.
I had the opportunity to try Ampelos Epsilon Dornfelder (Santa Rita Hills, Huber Vineyard) 2007. It’s made from Dornfelder grapes sent from Germany to Huber Vineyards in Santa Rita Hills, CA. Huber Vineyards started with just a few Dornfelder vines and now has 3 acres. Each year, they rotate in a little bit more Dornfelder. I can see why.
Winemakers Notes: “Dornfelder can barely be called a red wine — dark as the night. it almost appears to be black-purple with legs of black glycerin that stain the glass. you will find this wine to have anise notes with hints of violets, raw meat and mint. there are also notes of earthy must with a rich concentration of black fruit and hint of mushroom and forest herbs. on the palate you will find rich fruits of blackberry jam, dark plum and spicy hints of cloves. there is a very subtle hint of acid on the front, then massive fruit and just the right tannin to finish.”
Guess what? Ampelos Cellars is SIP Certified, though arguably the grapes aren’t from their vineyards. This wine retails for $35 online. If someone sees it around San Diego, I’d love to know where. If not, I’m going to order more online.
Ratings: 
This is a deep, dark, truly excellent wine. We sampled this amongst 8 other excellent boutique wines picked by one of our friends who knows his stuff. This was the winner unanimously. I had to leave the party to give La Jolla Girl a bath so, unfortunately, only snuck in a few sips of the Ampelos while doing so. More on the other wines we tasted later.
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