Smoked beef brisket is a tough pairing- the flavors are so rich and smoky that the wine needs to have spice, body and high levels of alcohol.  A Zinfandel seems as close as possible to the perfect match.  This one is semi opaque with thick legs showing off its 14.8% ABV.  The nose is very aromatic- rich red fruits, spice, black and white pepper alongside toasty oak.  The palate is very full bodied with great balance between the rich fruit, medium tannins and medium acidity.  Ripe raspberry, redcurrant jam, white pepper and blackberry flavors are all present.  It’s not a blockbuster in style but its rich fruit is very enticing.  I dig this wine and for $30 it’s a good drop that gets 91 points from me and 5 stars.  Drink till 2027.  Salut….

I don’t drink Zins very often, but when I find one I like- I remember it and revisit.  I was not a huge fan initially of the last Zin I drank, the Turley Zin turned out much better after a day or so.

This one shows semi opaque in the glass and has a lovely reddish hue to the purple color.  On the nose I get raspberries, red currants and cinnamon stick.  The palate is very rich with a nice thrust of raspberry coulis and mulling spices.  There’s a really nice set of tannins that caress the gums without stripping the enamel off my teeth alongside a juicy acidity that hits the mid palate.  The red fruit theme continues with some steeped rhubarb and spices.  This is not a jammy Zin, but is full bodied with rich flavors and a really nice, long finish.  The warmth I get on the backend is also very interesting.  Really tasty with a decent level of complexity and aging capacity make this a 91 point wine IMHO.  I paid a paltry $9.99 for it but it normally retails for $40.  4 stars with a drinking window till 2027.  I’m flash cooking some thin Ribeyes that will pair nicely.  Salut….