California

• Amador County
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  • Alexander Valley
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My favorite vineyard from my favorite Zinfandel producer!  Purple in color.  The nose is black raspberries, slight cedar, slight bramble, spice and pepper.  With air, some dark cherries emerge.  My favorite part of this wine is the texture which seems consistent over vintages.  It is rich and lush yet the wine glides down the palate.  Flavors of black raspberry and minerals and slight char and pepper.  Complex and deep.  Each sip leaves one wanting another sip.  Then the bottle is drained.  Works with a wider variety of food than imagined.  Long finish.  A spectacular wine.  

Torrin is one of the most underrated wines out of California.  Maybe underrated is not the right word.  I just don't understand why it doesn't get the buzz it deserves.  To my mine it is one of the five top wineries producing Rhone varietals in California.  Yes, the wines are big, but so far, they seem to be ageing just fine.  This one is fantastic.  These are big, warm climate Syrahs that are similar in style to SQN or Saxum.  Purple in color.  The nose is great with black raspberries, grilled meats, and hot tar.  On the palate, this is lush with lots of fruit and medium tannins.  Black ra

Purple in color.  The nose has black raspberries, blueberries, spice, slight grilled meats and black pepper.  On the palate, this is a bit more restrained than I expected but still outstanding.  Black raspberries, blueberries, and slight earthiness.  With air some charred earth as well.  Nice texture.  Some complexity.  Enough acidity to work with hearty foods.  Good finish.  There is plenty of fruit and slight tannins; this seems like it might improve or it might just age out.  Either way it easily has a decade or more left.  

This is one of my staples in not too expensive wines.  $30.  This is outstanding from year to year.  Purple in color.  Great nose of black cherries, black raspberries and spice.  Nice texture.  Delicious.  Concentration.  Expands on the palate.  Black and red fruits.  Works well with food too.  

This is one of the most straight-forward, "classic styled" Zins that Mike Officer makes.  It is always outstanding although it might not be as individualistic as some other vineyards.Purple in color.  The nose has dark cherries, spice and bramble.  Very ripe fruit.  On the palate, the dark cherries continue along with some underlying plum and spice.  Smooth and no heat.  Very nice texture.  Long finish.  

Ruby/purple in color.  This is a red blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot,Tannat, Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petite Sirah.  A sort of kitchen sink blend that costs around $15.  It's a nice wine for the money and easy to drink.  Ruby/purple in color.  The nose is a bit warm with alcohol but also some cherries, black raspberries and slight char.  On the palate, this is mostly cherry fruit.  Easy drinking.  Warm but not hot.  There is some varietal complexity.  Fun label.  Good party wine.  

Bonny Doon makes some fun wines!  This is Grenache for under $20.  It's a fun and great for parties.  Light ruby in color.  The nose is all about strawberries.  So is the palate.  This wine is light and easy drinking.  Some acidity but drinks more like a rose.  Food friendly-ish.  

Had a second bottle of this and it had some Brett (barnyard notes).  If that is an issue, look for well stored bottles.  

Light green gold in color.  The nose is clean and slightly grassy with minerals.  More minerals driven on the palate.  Not a lot of fruit here.  For under $20, this is a nice summer sipper.  Easy drinking on its own.

This is made from a vineyard planted originally in 1880.  96.8% Zinfandel and 3.2% Mixed Blacks 9field blend).  It comes in at 14.5% Alc.  Purple/ruby in color.  The nose is interesting.  Lanolin, and muted on opening.  With air, black raspberry fruit develops along with some dried floral notes.  Finally, black cherries and bramble emerge.  On the palate, there are medium tannins.  It presents a more feminine side to Zinfandel, at least on opening.  Red berries with slight earthiness.  With some air, it gets a bit wilder with some black cherries and more earthiness and spice coming out.  Sm

This is 100% Zinfandel from a vineyard first planted in 1893!  The vineyard is above the fog line and planted on volcanic and red clay soils.  15% Alcohol but not noticeable.  Beautiful color; a sort of magenta and ruby, clear and bright.  The nose is great.  Earthy and deep with black raspberries, black cherries, a bit of cinnamon and spice.  On the palate this is sweet black cherry fruit.  Some might call this jammy, but to me that implies a lack of precision which this wine has.  Earth and deep.  It has a complexity that is intriguing even at this young age.  Certainly the most complex o