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Zinfandel Wine Tasting Notes
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2005 Lucas ZinStar vineyard Lodi, Zinfandel $35 Score: 94.0 After spending a year in French oak and four years in the bottle, the 2004 offers intense raspberry and allspice aromas and flavors. Light, lively and ridiculously intense. |
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2006 Christine Andrew Old Vine Zin: Lodi, Zinfandel $15 Score: 93.0 Unlike so many Zinfandels these days, this one is not overblown and not high in alcohol, yet it shows intense raspberry fruit, with a mineral and light spice background, soft tannin, firm acidity and excellent balance. |
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2006, Shenandoah Vineyards, ReZerve Paul's Vineyard, Amador County, Zinfandel $24 Score: 90.0 It's full aromas of blackberry and cocoa are a catch-all for red varieties, but the varietal definition comes into focus on the palate with bramble berry, raspberry, nutmeg and vanilla. The tannin is chewy but sweet, and the finish lingers for minutes. Though the alcohol is higher than I'd like, it's balanced and should age well over the next decade. Only 277 cases produced. |
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2007, Sobon Estate Old Vines Amador County, Zinfandel $13.95 Score: 91.0 This is an intensely jammy, spicy wine with concentrated raspberry-boysenberry character from the nose through the finish. The spices are a melange of cinnamon and allspice. The texture is velvety smooth, as the tannins are kept in abeyance, and the finish is on the warm side. It has enough residual sugar to make it obvious, though most people will simply identify it as super-fruity. I'm reminded of a 1974 "December Harvest" Zinfandel from Monterey Vineyard, made by Dick Peterson. If the style indicates the wine's longevity, you'd be best served by drinking it before 2012. For such a unique and distinctive wine, it's an amazing bargain. |
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2006 Kenwood Vineyards, Jack London Vineyard, Sonoma Valley, Zinfandel $25 Score: 89.0 Jack London Vineyard Zin is always Kenwood's most muscular wine. Deep and concentrated, with a core of blackberry-raspberry fruit, lots of spice (clove, licorice and toast), and chalky, chewy, slightly bitter tannins. It's drinkable now, but if you like the flavors that accumulate with age, this is an excellent candidate for extended ageing over the next couple of decades. |
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2006 Rutherford Ranch, Napa Valley Zinfandel $17 Score: 97.0 It doesn't say "Old Vines" on the label, but this Zin has that character in spades. The quintessential bramble berry nose (a raspberry-blueberry-plum core, with lovely allspice and clove accents) follows through to the palate with soft tannin and excellent balance. You can't ask for much more, and it's a fabulous bargain to boot. |
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2006 Sebastiani, Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel $25 Score: 94.0 This is what Zinfandel is all about. This is classic bramble berry/raspberry fruit mixed with cinnamon, vanilla and dark chocolate. It comes across as bold yet balanced, enticing aromas leading to satisfying depth of flavor on the palate. The tannin is far in the background, lending a bit of structural support but not intruding in any way. As good as it is now, it will be even better with another ten years in the bottle. |
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2005 Dry Creek Vineyard, Beeson Ranch, Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel $34 Score: 87.0 While a bit reticent at the moment, the nose presents a dense blackberry core surrounded by nuances of white pepper and elusive floral notes. It's a beautifully structured wine with firm but supple tannins, a persistence of intensity from the nose through the finish, and the promise to develop gracefully over the next decade. Only 435 cases produced. |
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