Zinfandel

This was done as a one off in order to raise money for victims of the earthquake.  This vineyard is an enclosed small vineyard at about 800 feet of elevation.  This is a wine that is still tight but with just a bit of air, it is drinking beautifully right now.  Purple in color.  The nose has dark cherries, spice and a bit of bramble.  On the palate, slight tannins.  Black cherry fruit.  Some depth.  Good acidity.  Very food friendly for medium or heartier foods.  Nice finish.  I don't think this gets better from here but will undoubtedly change and mature.  

Sean Thackrey is one of the world's great winemakers who hangs out in Bolinas California.  This is basically a field blend of what doesn't make his top Cuvees.  Although it is non-vintage, each Cuvee carries a Roman Numeral designate.  This is XI, but the current release is XXV.  This wine is approximately 16 years old and was really made to be drunk in the first few years.  Sometime, however, wines hide in the cellar only to provide a pleasant surprise later on.  It was originally claimed to be a blend of Syrah, Petite Syrah, Zinfandel, Sangiovese, Carignan, and Barbera, however, DNA testi

This is a blend of a whole bunch of leftover grapes.  At $20, this is always a great value but especially so in the better vintages like 2015.  Purple in color.  The nose has black cherries, cherries and spice.  On the palate, this has a nice texture.  Good acidity.  Easy drinking with some depth and varietal complexity.  Good finish.  Very food friendly.  It now comes as a screw cap which is nice.  

This is one of the classic vineyards in California.  A whole host of wineries use this to make some very fine Zinfandels.  Carlisle's version tends to be middle of the road.  Interestingly, it also tends to be a pretty straightforward Zin the Carlisle lineup.  Of course, that is not a bad thing.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose has black raspberries, black cherries, spice and a bit of anise.  Those qualities carry thru to the palate.  This is on the bigger side but far short of many and certainly not jammy.  A nice depth to it.  If you like more of a claret style, these have sho

This is the Costco home brand.  My first time trying this and it was served to a group of people blind.  Everyone enjoyed this and for $17, there is some real value here.  Purple in color.  The nose has black cherries, bramble and spice.  On the palate, this is middle of the road in style.  A nice backbone of acidity should make it friendly with a wide variety of foods.  Good finish.  Is this amazing?  No.  But it is quite solid and as good as quite a few California Zins costing twice as much.  

Somewhat of a disappointing showing for this.  It drank fine, but a lot more was expected based on a bottle consumed just a few weeks ago.  Hopefully, the wine is just shut down at the moment.  A second bottle was opened and most of it is left, so it can be watched over the next couple of days.  Ruby/purple in color.  The nose is nice with black raspberries and some char.  On the palate, this is tight with black raspberry fruit.  No obvious faults but just lacking anything interesting or complex.  The texture is good but not what has become a staple of this wine.  Given its history, hopeful

From Magnum.  Ruby in color, opaque and flat.  The nose is dusty with cedar and black cherries.  On the palate, this is older and starting to get tired.  There is a tart acidity.  Black cherry fruit and slight dried cherries.  Not sure what this was like in its youth but now it is more claret in style.  Drinking well right now with fruit and complexity.  That said, drink up as this will start to slide soon.  Works with a wide variety of foods.  

This is a big, forward style Zinfandel but stays just shy of being over the top for that style.  Purple in color.  The nose has blueberry pie, slight fruitcake spice and black pepper.  With air roasted herbs come out with a bit of bramble.  On the palate, this is delicious with black raspberries, blueberries and cherries.  Deep and complex.  Long finish.  Would go well with bold flavored food especially cooked over a grill.  

A new wine for me, this was quite good.  From members of the Cline wine family.  Purple/ruby in color.  The nose has black raspberries and some bramble.  On the palate, black cherry, underlying char and slight earth.  Good balance.  More middle of the road on a Zinfandel scale.  Good with a lot of foods.  Seems like it will easily go a decade more.  

Purple/ruby in color.  The nose has black cherries, black pepper and slight chocolate.  Also some nutmeg.  On the palate, this is very ripe and jammy.  Lots of black cherry fruit and dried cherries.  There is a lot of depth here.  Mild tannins.  For those who like big, fruity wines, this is it.  For others, it might be a bit over the top.  There is some acidity, however, it would take bold flavored foods to stand up to this.  However, one glass, on its own is tasty as a cocktail.  15.9% Alc.