| Zinfandel 2007 Tasting Report |
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Well it has been a while since our last tasting report and a
whole lot longer since we reviewed America’s favorite
underdog varietal, Zinfandel. So with that in mind, how
fitting is it that we started off our 2007 tasting report
campaign with a review of ten glorious and prestigious
Zins from California. In the past, we have reviewed a lot
of wines from the $6.00 price range and up, but for this
tasting, our Zinfandel wines started at $17.00 and topped
out at $36.00, give or take a dollar or two. In other words,
we reviewed some really nice Zinfandel wines.
I asked our staff members to bring me good Zins for our
tasting and they delivered in spades. Of the ten Zins we
reviewed, almost every single one came from a winery
that specialized in Zinfandel wines above all other
varietals. Now whether they did that on purpose or not, I
don’t know, but I was rather proud. Below is a list of some
familiar names, mostly made up of 2003 & 2004 vintages
with a couple 2002’s thrown in for good measure.
Now I personally thought that the wines we tasted were
excellent overall, but a lot of the staff members were
somewhat under whelmed by these wines. A Zinfandel
wine is what it is, a fun wine that isn’t meant necessarily to
be taken very serious, but rather to be enjoyed with
playful food like pizza and barbeque. There was one
particular staff member that was a full on hater! Giving
out scores of “65” and “70” to wines. I must respectfully
disagree with whoever that was, and their score sheet was
anonymous so I really don’t know who it was. I, once
again, thought that most of the wines were really pretty
good.
Of course before we got started, I had some food for all of
us to sample along with our Zins. A Sun-Dried
Tomato/Basil Pesto Ziti and Cajun Alfredo Tortellini for
our pasta dishes. A Champagne Risotto (perhaps not the
best choice for a Zin, but who cares, it was good anyway)
and some spicy Chicken Empanadas. Speaking of spicy,
Zinfandel is a red wine that really goes well with spicy
foods, which is a bit unusual because of the high alcohol
content of the wines. Generally, high alcohol wines only
add more fuel to the fire of the heat from spicy dishes, but
Zins tend to be fruity and on the sweet side of that and
therefore and as a good countermeasure for spicy foods.
We did have one casualty in our tasting. The M2 Zin was
hit with some bacteria that caused the wine to be severely
off. I decided to not score this wine because of it. We had
this wine last year at our M2 tasting and it was one of
everyone’s favorite wines in the entire tasting, so I can
personally vouch for it. However, the bacteria had done
its damage and the nose on this wine was atrocious!
Surprisingly, once you got past that smell, it actually
tasted rather well!
And with that, here are our Zins!
whole lot longer since we reviewed America’s favorite
underdog varietal, Zinfandel. So with that in mind, how
fitting is it that we started off our 2007 tasting report
campaign with a review of ten glorious and prestigious
Zins from California. In the past, we have reviewed a lot
of wines from the $6.00 price range and up, but for this
tasting, our Zinfandel wines started at $17.00 and topped
out at $36.00, give or take a dollar or two. In other words,
we reviewed some really nice Zinfandel wines.
I asked our staff members to bring me good Zins for our
tasting and they delivered in spades. Of the ten Zins we
reviewed, almost every single one came from a winery
that specialized in Zinfandel wines above all other
varietals. Now whether they did that on purpose or not, I
don’t know, but I was rather proud. Below is a list of some
familiar names, mostly made up of 2003 & 2004 vintages
with a couple 2002’s thrown in for good measure.
Now I personally thought that the wines we tasted were
excellent overall, but a lot of the staff members were
somewhat under whelmed by these wines. A Zinfandel
wine is what it is, a fun wine that isn’t meant necessarily to
be taken very serious, but rather to be enjoyed with
playful food like pizza and barbeque. There was one
particular staff member that was a full on hater! Giving
out scores of “65” and “70” to wines. I must respectfully
disagree with whoever that was, and their score sheet was
anonymous so I really don’t know who it was. I, once
again, thought that most of the wines were really pretty
good.
Of course before we got started, I had some food for all of
us to sample along with our Zins. A Sun-Dried
Tomato/Basil Pesto Ziti and Cajun Alfredo Tortellini for
our pasta dishes. A Champagne Risotto (perhaps not the
best choice for a Zin, but who cares, it was good anyway)
and some spicy Chicken Empanadas. Speaking of spicy,
Zinfandel is a red wine that really goes well with spicy
foods, which is a bit unusual because of the high alcohol
content of the wines. Generally, high alcohol wines only
add more fuel to the fire of the heat from spicy dishes, but
Zins tend to be fruity and on the sweet side of that and
therefore and as a good countermeasure for spicy foods.
We did have one casualty in our tasting. The M2 Zin was
hit with some bacteria that caused the wine to be severely
off. I decided to not score this wine because of it. We had
this wine last year at our M2 tasting and it was one of
everyone’s favorite wines in the entire tasting, so I can
personally vouch for it. However, the bacteria had done
its damage and the nose on this wine was atrocious!
Surprisingly, once you got past that smell, it actually
tasted rather well!
And with that, here are our Zins!
| Carol Shelton 2004 Monga Zin – Cucamonga Valley, California |
Notes – I can’t tell you how pleased I am
that this was our top scoring wine, and by
no small margin either! Carol came to my
house personally a couple of years ago and
we were all impressed with her as well as
her wines. Great job Carol, you’re a rock
star! I am guessing that she used a
combination of both American and French
Oak, judging from the spices present in
this wine. It is filled with thick red fruits,
soft tannins, a creamy texture and a long
smooth finish! An absolute gem of a Zin!
that this was our top scoring wine, and by
no small margin either! Carol came to my
house personally a couple of years ago and
we were all impressed with her as well as
her wines. Great job Carol, you’re a rock
star! I am guessing that she used a
combination of both American and French
Oak, judging from the spices present in
this wine. It is filled with thick red fruits,
soft tannins, a creamy texture and a long
smooth finish! An absolute gem of a Zin!
| About $35.00 |
| Score A- |
| Frank Family Vineyard 2004 – Napa Valley, California |
Notes – Despite the fact that there was a
strong alcoholic presence on the nose, this
wine delivered in its plush beauty. A huge
full body filled with an ample amount of red
fruits and a nice and smooth malolactic-
like finish. The only thing that could have
made this wine better was a cheaper price
tag!
strong alcoholic presence on the nose, this
wine delivered in its plush beauty. A huge
full body filled with an ample amount of red
fruits and a nice and smooth malolactic-
like finish. The only thing that could have
made this wine better was a cheaper price
tag!
| Around $36.00 |
| Score A- |
| Neyers 2004 Pato Vineyard – Contra Costa County, California |
Notes – Neyers is a winery known for Zins
and Syrah/Petite Sirahs that absolutely hit
you over the head with a hammer of high
potent alcoholic wines! I’ve seen them
reach levels of 16% and over. This was a
little more subdued for them at 15.5%.
The nose was a bit neutral, but then again,
the wine before this one in our tasting was
the M2 which had an absolutely rank smell
to it, so our senses may have been a little
off. Once on the palate though, this wine
took off with burnt toasty flavors full of
fruit and spice and some underlying tannins
that persisted all the way to the finish.
and Syrah/Petite Sirahs that absolutely hit
you over the head with a hammer of high
potent alcoholic wines! I’ve seen them
reach levels of 16% and over. This was a
little more subdued for them at 15.5%.
The nose was a bit neutral, but then again,
the wine before this one in our tasting was
the M2 which had an absolutely rank smell
to it, so our senses may have been a little
off. Once on the palate though, this wine
took off with burnt toasty flavors full of
fruit and spice and some underlying tannins
that persisted all the way to the finish.
| Score B+ |
| About $28.00 |
| Manzanita Creek 2002 Three Vines – Dry Creek Valley, California |
Notes – When you first dive your snout
into this wine, it hits you with a little off-
putting stewed tomato, but don’t let that
keep you from sipping it, it gets much
better. I found a little odd sweet pea in the
aroma and palate and definitely some
candied fruit to boot. I thought it finished
a little too raisiny for my tastes, but the
Port fans in the crowd really dug that
aspect of it.
into this wine, it hits you with a little off-
putting stewed tomato, but don’t let that
keep you from sipping it, it gets much
better. I found a little odd sweet pea in the
aroma and palate and definitely some
candied fruit to boot. I thought it finished
a little too raisiny for my tastes, but the
Port fans in the crowd really dug that
aspect of it.
| Score B+ |
| Around $32.00 |
| Niebaum-Copola 2002 Edizione Pennino – Rutherford, Napa, California |
Notes – I’ve had this wine a lot lately,
albeit the 2003 vintage, but it is
remarkably consistent and very
attractive. Ladies, listen up! It starts with
a bit of cocoa and runs on into a full-blown
chocoholic’s dream on the palate.
Somewhere in-between the a touch of
tobacco sneaks in there and as it finishes
on the creamy side, it finds a bit of
sweetness on your tongue.
albeit the 2003 vintage, but it is
remarkably consistent and very
attractive. Ladies, listen up! It starts with
a bit of cocoa and runs on into a full-blown
chocoholic’s dream on the palate.
Somewhere in-between the a touch of
tobacco sneaks in there and as it finishes
on the creamy side, it finds a bit of
sweetness on your tongue.
| About $35.00 |
| Score B+ |
| Seghesio 2003 Sonoma County, California |
Notes – Well to be honest, I thought this
wine was going to be coming in second in
our tasting. It really seemed like a lot of
people really liked it, as did I, but there
were a few people that for whatever
reason, were not very fond of it. It was my
personal second favorite after the Carol
Shelton Zin, which really is no surprise to
me, because Leslie and I drink Seghesio
Zins like there is no tomorrow! It is
extremely smooth, exceptionally balanced
and chocked full of delicious red fruits. A
real crowd pleaser!
wine was going to be coming in second in
our tasting. It really seemed like a lot of
people really liked it, as did I, but there
were a few people that for whatever
reason, were not very fond of it. It was my
personal second favorite after the Carol
Shelton Zin, which really is no surprise to
me, because Leslie and I drink Seghesio
Zins like there is no tomorrow! It is
extremely smooth, exceptionally balanced
and chocked full of delicious red fruits. A
real crowd pleaser!
| From $17.00 to $23.00 |
| Score B+ |
| Montevina 2003 Terra d’Oro “Deaver Vineyard” 100 year old vines – Amador County, California |
| Price $31.00 |
| Score B |
Notes – If you are familiar with Amador
County wines, you already know it is Zin
country. Sure they make other varietals,
but I would be willing to bet that 60% of all
wines made in Amador are Zins.
Montevina is a winery that makes almost
exclusively different Zinfandel wines. And
they have been at it for years. If we were
taking a poll on the coolest wine bottle, this
would have been a sure thing! It had a
smattering of menthol on the nose, with an
over-abundance of vanilla from a healthy
dose of oak. So much so that it
overwhelmed the fruit. As a result, the
tannins were huge! Not ready to drink
now, this may have a lot of potential down
the road if there is enough fruit underneath
all that oak.
County wines, you already know it is Zin
country. Sure they make other varietals,
but I would be willing to bet that 60% of all
wines made in Amador are Zins.
Montevina is a winery that makes almost
exclusively different Zinfandel wines. And
they have been at it for years. If we were
taking a poll on the coolest wine bottle, this
would have been a sure thing! It had a
smattering of menthol on the nose, with an
over-abundance of vanilla from a healthy
dose of oak. So much so that it
overwhelmed the fruit. As a result, the
tannins were huge! Not ready to drink
now, this may have a lot of potential down
the road if there is enough fruit underneath
all that oak.
| Dry Creek 2003 Heritage Zin – Sonoma Country, California |
| Price $17.00 |
| Score B |
Notes – Dry Creek is a region synonymous
with great Zinfandel wines. Although this
Zin did not do much to distinguish itself
against some of the others, I don’t believe
that it deserved to be put this far down the
list. The nose was a little closed and it had
a chalky finish, but other than that it was
reasonably good. I guess because it did
not stand out, good or bad, it got lost
amongst the others.
with great Zinfandel wines. Although this
Zin did not do much to distinguish itself
against some of the others, I don’t believe
that it deserved to be put this far down the
list. The nose was a little closed and it had
a chalky finish, but other than that it was
reasonably good. I guess because it did
not stand out, good or bad, it got lost
amongst the others.
| Sausal 2003 Century Vines – Alexander Valley, California |
| Price $28.00 |
| Score B |
Notes – One thing you can usually count on
when a Zin is made from old vines is that it
is going to be thick and heavily extracted
with concentrated fruit. However, that was
not the case with this old vine Zin. It tasted
as if the grapes were picked too early as it
was full of herbal aromas and flavors,
highly acidic, another sign of early picking
and it was much thinner bodied than one
would have expected. Other than that, it
was okay!
when a Zin is made from old vines is that it
is going to be thick and heavily extracted
with concentrated fruit. However, that was
not the case with this old vine Zin. It tasted
as if the grapes were picked too early as it
was full of herbal aromas and flavors,
highly acidic, another sign of early picking
and it was much thinner bodied than one
would have expected. Other than that, it
was okay!
| M2 2004 Old Vine “Soucie Vineyard” – Lodi, California |
| Price $25.00 |
| Score Not Rated |
Notes – As previously mentioned, this wine
fell victim to some bacteria. I would not
say it was corked, it did not smell that way,
but there was definitely something wrong
with it. It had a severe stewed tomato nose
that was hard to get pass. Once you got it
in your mouth, it was nowhere near as bad
as the smell would have implied, but still, it
was obvious that something was wrong with
it. At our M2 Tasting last year, we tasted
this same exact wine and it was
remarkable, so it was clearly just a bad
bottle.
fell victim to some bacteria. I would not
say it was corked, it did not smell that way,
but there was definitely something wrong
with it. It had a severe stewed tomato nose
that was hard to get pass. Once you got it
in your mouth, it was nowhere near as bad
as the smell would have implied, but still, it
was obvious that something was wrong with
it. At our M2 Tasting last year, we tasted
this same exact wine and it was
remarkable, so it was clearly just a bad
bottle.
Just for fun, Jim and Sandy brought a
dessert Zin wine from Fritz and a sample of
chocolate to go along with. It was a half
bottle as opposed to a full 750ml and
although I barely had a swallow of it, I do
declare it was a great end to a perfect
tasting!
dessert Zin wine from Fritz and a sample of
chocolate to go along with. It was a half
bottle as opposed to a full 750ml and
although I barely had a swallow of it, I do
declare it was a great end to a perfect
tasting!
