Zinfandel

This is another of the bourbon barrel aged wines.  While some wine nerds may scoff or even cringe at this trend, many consumers are buying and enjoying.  This comes in attractive packaging with a clear bottle and an "old timey" label.  It is a big wine that clocks in at 15.9% abv.  After tasting the bottle, I served it to a group of friends and it proved popular.  Is is a blend of Zinfandel, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Sauvignon.   Deep ruby in color.  The nose is sweet with caramel and also black raspberries.  On the palate, this has sweet black cherry fruit.  Firm tannins that are slightly

Rafanelli followers are some of the most devoted in the Zin world, and rightly so.  They make some of the best Zins.  In style, the wines are middle of the road.  They have a lot of fruit, but are not bombastic.  They have an elegance but are not in a claret style.  They also age nicely.  This one is purple in color.  The nose has raspberries, black raspberries, black cherries, slight bramble and spice.  On the palate, this has a lot of energy.  Good acidity.  Plenty of black cherry fruit with a bit of raspberries over a char/smoke and spice.  Medium bodied with a lovely texture.  Good fini

Limerick lane is making some of the best Zinfandels.  They are world class red wines.  This is a big, intense Zinfandel at the moment that is delicious to drink.  It should calm down for those who prefer more of a claret style.  Deep ruby in color.  The nose has black raspberries, blueberries, black pepper and char.  On the palate, this has a lush texture.  Juicy black raspberry fruit.  Underlying char.  Deep and complex.  Long finish.  This drinks great on its own or will work well with ribs or grilled meats.  

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

This is a reasonably priced Zin.  It is slightly sweet and on the lighter style of Zin so factor that into your buying decision.  I quite enjoyed it.  Drunk over two nights, it was better on Night 2.  Deep ruby in color.  The nose has cherries, spice and dust.  On the palate, the cherries come thru.  No tannins to speak of.  Easy drinking.  Slightly sweet/ripe.  Nice finish.  

Another great value from Cline.  Deep ruby in color.  The nose has cherries, raspberries, bramble and cedar.  Medium bodied.  Some depth and concentration.  The cherries come thru to the palate along with some black cherries.  Nice texture.  Drinks well on its own right now but will work with pizza or pasta or burgers.  This probably should be consumed in the next year or so.  

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.  

This is a Zinfandel blend of 74% Zinfandel, 14% Syrah and 12% Mourvedre.  This is a big wine but it is drinking quite nicely right now.  Purple in color, slight ruby at the rim.  The nose has black cherries, raspberries, a bit of bramble, plums and black pepper.  On the palate, this has a nice texture.  A nice varietal complexity.  It goes down (too) easy.  Although there is no alcohol on the palate, it is 15.3%.  Lots of black cherry and raspberry fruit with some char and spice.  Good finish.  This drinks great on it own and would work well with a burger.  It probably should be consumed in

This is consistently one of my favorite Zinfandels.  Deep ruby in color.  The nose is nice with cherries, slight wintergreen, and sandalwood.  On the palate, this seems a bit lighter than prior years.  Good acidity.  Light tannins.  Nice cherries and raspberries with some underlying bramble.  Good finish.  Drinking well right now, it probably should be consumed in the next eight to ten years.  It will be interesting to see if it develops more or puts on body.  It is actually very food friendly and will work with a wide variety of medium and heavier foods.