Tag Archives: zinfandel

Artezin Old Vine Zinfandel 2017, Mendocino, California

19 Tuesday Jan 2021

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I tasted this wine many moons ago but failed to write notes. When I saw it in the shop it reminded me of friends in California who introduced me to this winery. The wine itself is a pretty shade of purple but is nearly see-through. On the nose I get red berries, a touch of oak and pomegranate. The palate is spicy with a pepper note right off the bat. Dark red raspberries, black berries and sweet currants add to the mix. It is really interesting. The mid palate has a touch of dryness from lithe tannins, the acidity yet to kick in. On the finish this wine shouts out the varietal with lots of white and black pepper, raspberry and blackberry flavors with smoky oak intertwined. It’s not overly complex but really packs those singular fruit flavors. It will drink well till 2025 and handle char-grilled chicken, Filet or even pizza. It gets 88 points from me and for $18- 3 stars. Salut….

Evangelos Bagias Rippey Family Vineyard Zinfandel 2019, Lodi, California

23 Wednesday Dec 2020

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Very dark purple and nearly opaque in the glass. The nose on this Zin gives me sweet plums, white pepper, licorice and dried cherry. On the palate is has a warm intro bursting with purple fruit ganache, sweet black cherry and a modicum of very fine grained tannins. The mid palate continues the black/purple fruit theme but it’s here where I sense the 15.1 % alcohol. It’s not bothersome, just be careful! The tannins are really well integrated so that I get just a touch of dryness on the backend to go along with some steeped plum and charcoal notes. I really am enjoying this wine, it will pair nicely with the braised Lamb shanks in the oven. It gets 89 points from me and for $11 it’s one to stock up on for casual meals and Friday Happy hours. 5 stars, drink till 2024. Salut….

Quivira Vineyards Zinfandel 2016, Dry Creek Valley, California

03 Thursday Dec 2020

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Very dark purple and fully opaque.  Loads of pepper, purple plums and blackcurrant preserves on the nose.  On the palate I get a whack of iodine, ink and black fruit.  There’s a very definitive tannic streak but without the gum coating astringency.  Cranberry and tart cherry are noted on the mid palate.  The tannins are a touch green on the back end and they really start to grip on the long finish.  This wine scored big with the pros, I can see why. In my books the greeness detracts- 90 points and 4 stars for this $23 Zin. Drink till 2024. Salut….

Scott Peterson ROX All Blacks 2018, Sonoma, California

17 Tuesday Nov 2020

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This blend of Zinfandel, Syrah, Petite Sirah and Alicante Bouschet is quite brooding in the glass. Dark purple and completely opaque. On the nose it has a sweet blackberry note alongside earthy herbs and violets. The palate is fruit forward with black cherry, blackberries and steeped plum notes. A dusty earthiness is ever present and some lithe tannins present at the mid palate. I sense the alcohol and just read the content- 14.9%…. careful out there. Black tea and iodine hit me on the back end as the tannic grip envelopes the mouth and melds with the fruit. It’s a tasty one for sure and I like the blend. It’s rich, rewarding and the structure is decent for medium term cellaring. Moxie is cooking up some stuffed Green Peppers, I think it will work nicely. Drink till 2023. 89 points and 3 stars for this $45 wine. Salut….

F. Stephen Millier Black Label Old Vines Zinfandel 2019, Lodi, California

21 Monday Sep 2020

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I have had a few wines from Lodi recently and am becoming a big fan.  Zinfandel is one of their signature grapes so this wine is exciting to me.

As I look at it in the glass it’s a nice shade of opaque purple.  I can also smell the waft of fruit from a foot away, always a good sign.  The nose is very fruit forward with tons of black berry, dark plums and a cinnamon twist.  The palate is misleading- when you smell that much fruit you automatically expect a wine with a touch of sweetness, which I do not look forward to in reds.  This wine is not at all sweet- it is rich, concentrated with black fruit and very tasty.  There is a core of minerality on the mid palate that mixes it up with some oaky char and anise.  I usually expect pepper with this varietal but I’m not getting any.  The wine has a nice, balanced mouthfeel with very lithe tannins and supporting acidity.  The finish is a fruit salad of black cherry, blackcurrants and blackberry jam.  It is mouth filling and satisfying if you like a ton of flavor.  I’m enjoying it with some Spaghetti Arrabiata with garlic bread.  Kudos to the winemaker for this 90 point effort that I paid $13 for.  It gets 5 stars and will drink nicely till 2027.  Salut….

Mt. Luxxe Vineyards Zinfandel 2017, Lodi, California

09 Wednesday Sep 2020

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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….

Turley Wine Cellars Old Vines Zinfandel 2017, California, USA

30 Sunday Aug 2020

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The last wine of our Virtual tasting #8 was this highly regarded Zin which rolls in at $35.  I selected it because I really like this winery and was thinking it would be interesting to have two wines from the same winemaker, albeit different varietals to showcase the winemaker’s style and skill.  There were 8 different groups tasting this wine and I recorded their collective notes.

The wine starts off with a nice purple shade of medium opacity.  Fine legs on the sidewalls gave away the 15.5% alcohol, which was not evident on the palate- well disguised!  The immediate reaction to the nose was ‘Grandmothers attic!  A good swirl and more traditional aromas of baked cherries, rhubarb, cherry, currant, plum and dusty mocha were mentioned alongside descriptors of svelte, brooding, jammy and finally mothballs.  Back to the closet I guess!

On the palate members of the group noted sassafras, huckleberry, cinnamon and Jalapeño.  I found the wine to be complex but the finish brought up some interesting comments.  Stinky Brie, green and bitter notes were mentioned but I thought the wine was balanced between lithe tannins and gentle acidity.  Pepper was the predominant feature for me.  I was not overly impressed by this wine on night one and will re-taste tonight.  For now I’m going with 89 points, a stark contrast fro the 92 it got from some of the pros.  3 stars initially.  Drink till 2025.  Salut….

UPDATE- I re-tasted the wine after a 24 hour period and have revised my score to 91. It improved dramatically.  The complexity was evident- 4 stars.

 

Liberty Road Zinfandel 2018, Lodi, California

26 Wednesday Aug 2020

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Semi opaque, medium shade of purple. The nose is somewhat subdued in the BAG (big assed glass). After a vigorous swirl session I get blueberries, violet and pepper.  On the palate it’s a touch spicy with blue fruits, fig and cedar.  The mid palate is a bit tart, backward and thin on the fruit.  The finish is bitter with more blue fruits and that woodsy note.  I enjoy Zins for their fruitiness.  This one lacks a bit on several points unfortunately.  86 points is all I can muster.  $10 makes this a 2 star wine.  Salut….

Cameron Hughes Cinergi Red Blend 2018, Lodi, California

14 Sunday Jun 2020

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The second wine of our virtual tasting was this Lodi blend of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Petit Verdot and Cab Sav.  The nose was magnificent- lush, jammy blackberry, cocoa, dark plums.  The palate was a different matter.  We all immediately sensed a certain sweetness that we were not expecting.  The wine is very fruity and concentrated with loads of black fruits.  Tannins are apparent but not overbearing and there is a decent level of acidity to make for a nice mouthfeel.  The cloying fruit however was a detractor for many in the group.  Funnily enough, it was voted the best wine by a third of the attendees.  I guess that sweetness appeals to some but not all.  Each to his own.  For me it was an 86 point wine that I feel was a little too manufactured and lacked finesse relying heavily on gobs of jammy fruit.  Drink now.  For $14 it gets 3 stars.  Salut….

The Cleaver Red Blend 2017, Amador County, California

30 Saturday May 2020

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This is the 5th wine in the SplashWines lineup.  A blend from Amador County, which has been showing some real quality of late.  This one is a nice purple hue in the glass and is semi-opaque.  On the nose I get pepper, plum, mocha and blackberries.  The initial palate is interesting, a touch sweet from cassis and spice.  It has some zest to it, I like that.  The mid palate has some tar, more dark fruits and a charcoal note.  Very lithe tannins appear and there is a nice acidity to the wine.  The tar and spice components carry through to the finish, but there is an astringency that hits me, some greenness.  It’s not all bad, as the sweet cassis nullifies it.  The finish is quite tart, with good length.  Overall this is a decent bottle that gets 89 points from me.  Drink with summer BBQ, perhaps pizza and definitely a red pasta.  For $15 it’s a 3 star Zinfandel blend that includes some Petite Sirah and Syrah.  Drink now.  Salut….