Zinfandel Blend

This is a blend of Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, Syrah, and Charbono.  It is made to be a fruit forward delicious blend that drinks well right away.  And it achieves that.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has black cherries, black pepper, slight black raspberries and roasted meats and herbs.  Very nice.  On the palate, this is big.  Tasty with a wall of fruit.  Medium tannins.  Long finish.  There is some complexity and depth to it.  It drinks great now on its own and will work with spicy barbecue.  It probably won't improve with cellaring, but should cellar wel

This was meeting an old friend.  I used to drink this wine quite a bit but had not had it for quite some time.  It just sort of fell out of the rotation for no particular reason and that is a shame.  It is still top notch.  A blend of 68% Zinfandel, 18% Carignan, 12% Petite Sirah and 2% Alicante Bouschet, this is a wine that drinks well young or old but the profile will change depending on which varietals are showing more at that time.  Purple in color with a ruby rim.  The nose is nice with black cherries, slight black raspberries herbal notes and pepper.  Medium to full bodied.  On the pa

This is the second vintage for a Red Wine Blend and I far prefer this to the 2015 version.  it is a blend of 42% Zinfandel, 21% Petite Sirah, 19% "Port Grapes, and 18% Syrah.  Yes, Port wine grapes can be a wide variety but I have no idea what they used and that the grapes are from Mendocino.  But, for $20 retail, no need to get hung up on that.  Right now it seems the Zinfandel and to a lesser extent the Syrah dominate the blend although that might change with time.  It is made by Rich Parducci.  This utilizes a cork (unlike the Chardonnay)  Ruby in color with purple swirls.  The nose has

This project of Joel Petterson has been at it for a while now and the wines are getting a certain style to them which is very nice.  That is, robust, but just barely (for Zin).  This wine is  80% Zinfandel with the rest Alicante and old-vine Carignan.   Purple in color with ruby swirls.  Mostly clear and bright.  The nose has black cherries, raspberries, roasted herbs (sage?), and dust.  Medium bodied with light tannins.  On the palate, this is delicious.  It drinks easy.  Raspberry fruit with some underlying black pepper and bramble.  Good energy.  Nice finish.  This should drink at this l

This is a solid wine and a nice value in Sonoma Zinfandel.  A blend of 77% Zinfandel, 21% Petit Verdot & 2% Carignane.   Ruby in color with purple swirls.  The nose has raspberries, spice and dust.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, this is slightly brawny with red fruits.  Easy drinking.  Light tannins.  Best to drink now or in the next few years.  Works well with pizza or burgers.  A nice wine for a party.  Shop around as its MSRP is $26 but its widely available ranging from $15 and up.  

This is the second release of the Orin Swift project now that Dave Phinney's non-compete with Prisoner Wine Company is over.  It was nice to get a chance to try this.  This is a very solid wine.  Purple in color.

Evangelho vineyard is a blend featuring mostly Zinfandel.  This vineyard always seems to have a more "claret" or elegant style to it.  That can be a disadvantage at a tasting or with a group of bigger wines.  When consumed on its own, however, it can be charming.  Deep ruby in color.  The nose has cherries, raspberries, slight smoke and an interesting bit of mint.  On the palate, the cherries and smoke tend to dominate at the moment.  Some depth.  Good acidity.  Nice finish.  This drinks well on its own but really begs for pasta, pizza or burgers.  Drink it over the next five years.  

One of the no brainer values in California wine.  This year it carries a California (not Sonoma) designation.  It is a blend from various vineyards of 85% Zinfandel and the rest Mataro, Grenache, Alicante Bouschet, Carignan, Petite Sirah and what grapes might also be growing in these field blends.  It is delicious.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose has black cherries, raspberries, smoke, roasted herbs and spice.  On the palate, this has juicy acidity.  Nice texture.  Lots of red and some purple fruits.  Light tannins.  Good finish.  This will likely improve a bit for a year or tw

Ulises Valvez was one of the great American success stories in the wine world.  An immigrant to this country, he built his vineyard and winery into a top notch winery.  Sadly, he passed away a couple of years ago at far too young of an age.  His winery carries on.  This is a Zinfandel blend that also has 17% Peite Sirah and 5% Grenache.  The vineyard was originally planted in 1888 and hand farmed by Ulises Valdez since 1988.  There are some very old vines.  Purple in color.  The nose has black cherries, some raspberries, a bit of spice and bramble.  Nice texture.  Juicy acidity.  There is s

This is always one of the really good values in Zinfandel.  It is consistently a solid wine in every vintage and this is no exception.  A blend of 87% Zinfandel, 9% Petite Sirah, 2% Carignane, 1% Syrah and 1% mixed reds.  Purple in color.  The nose has black cherries, sandalwood and slight bramble.  On the palate, this is medium bodied.  Cherries and black cherries.  Slight tannins.  Easy drinking.  This will work great with burgers or pizza.  It should be drunk in the next three to five years.