Zinfandel

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

This is 75% Zinfandel and 25% Mixed Blacks (a vineyard blend of dark red grapes).  This is a different take on Zinfandel from a cooler climate vineyard.  The wine was still able to get to 14.9% Alc due to a long growing season.  Purple/ruby in color.  The nose has sour cherries.  There is also a black olive note which is very nice and likely from Rhone varietals as part of the mixed black make up.  In addition, there is a classic bramble and black pepper note.  Slight tannins on the wine.  This is a more elegant side of Zinfandel.  Black cherry fruit.  Some depth but a lot of intensity that

Wow.  It has been a while since I have tried any of the single vineyard wines from Ravenswood.  This is great!  Really glad to revisit these.  Made in Dry Creek Valley on gravelly clay loam soils.  15.1% Alc but no hint of it.  Ruby/purple in color.  Clear and bright.  The nose is earthy and dusty with black cherries and a bit of pepper.  With air, an underlying char shows thru.  On the palate, this is soft and smooth.  It starts easy which is nice before picking up weight.  Sour black cherries and some blueberries.  The mid-palate has some black licorice too.  Plenty of depth here.  Medium

This is a vineyard blend from an older vineyard in Sonoma.  This is how wine used to be grown as opposed to blending in the winery.  Sometimes in these older vineyards, its not clear what is growing without doing DNA tests on each vine.  This vineyard has 60% Zinfandel, 25% Carignane and 15% comprised of 22 othr varietals.  The wine is purple with ruby swirls.

I love Carlisle Zinfandels.  Mike Officer makes a bunch of them, but this is my favorite one.  Purple in color.  The nose has some bramble, dark cherries and a bit of pepper.  What i find I like consistently from vintage to vintage, however, is the texture.  It is round, lush, and delicious without being over the top.  Black cherries, raspberries, and black licorice.  No heat.  Each sip makes we want to take another.  It is food friendly, but these seem to go down too quickly.  Its hard to not gulp.  This should age easily for another five years and probably ten or more.  

This is a very good, middle of the road, straight forward Zin (in a good way).  Purple in color with some ruby swirls.  The nose has dark cherries, raspberries, bramble and black pepper.  Full bodied with a nice texture.  Juicy black cherries and raspberries.  Some depth.  Drinking great but should age a bit and last a decade.  Works with bigger foods or on its own. Delicious.  

One of my favorite vineyards from one of my favorite wineries.  Purple in color.  The nose has black cherries, black raspberries, some bramble and a bit pf pepper.  Wonderful texture.  Lush but with great energy.  Deep but unwinds in the glass.  Juicy deliciousness.  Black raspberry and black cherry fruit.  Slight tannins.  This will last another decade, but why?  It is so unique and great now.  

This is a Zinfandel blend.  It seems to be a bit past prime at this point but still hanging in there.  Not as energetic as it was a few years prior.  No sin in that for this wine, it just means to drink the newer vintages in the first five years or so.  Purple in color.  The nose has cherries, black cherries, some spice and a bit of alcohol.  On the palate, mostly red fruits; cherries and raspberries.  Not deep but tasty.  There is some heat on it, more warming than hot.  

This is a field blend with over 30 different types of grape interspersed throughout the vineyard, much of it zinfandel and alicante bouschet, but also tempranillo, mondeuse, carignane and mourvedre.  Pop and pour, it is very interesting.  Ruby in color with some purple swirls.  The nose has a some barnyard which seems to be brettanomyces ( a yeast that is in wines).  It is possible its just from the Mondeuse or possibly some Mourvedre.  In addition, there is great black cherry fruit and a bit of anise.  On the palate, this has tart red cherry fruit with a bit of earthiness.  Slightly drying

One of my go to wines for inexpensive but really good red wines.  This costs around $25 a bottle and really over delivers.  Purple in color.  The nose has some raspberries, dark cherries, a bit of bramble, and some char.  On the palate, this has a nice full bodied texture.  It is young now and would probably last 10 years except that I can't manage not to drink these.  Black cherries, boysenberries, some black licorice on the palate.  Light to medium tannins.  Good acidity.  Works well on its own or with food.  Nice finish.  Some upside potential to improve with age for a couple of years.