Eathquake Zinfandel 2007

There's been a lot of words in print and the ether of the WWW about wine style, especially the war between "New World" style and "Old World" style. I'll be writing on that topic a little later but for this posting we're talking definitely "New World" in this offering from the Lodi Appellation in central California. Old Vine Zin is Lodi’s specialty, with some families tending vines over 120 years old (there is no real formal definition of Old Vine but 120 years is pretty danged old) and some of the best Zinfandel today comes from Lodi. This wine is a great example of a big, expressive "New World" style wine. Deep ruby in color this wine opens with black cherry, plum, dark chocolate and a hint of white pepper on the nose. A full-bodied wine, the tannins were dusty with nicely balanced acidity and luscious dark fruits producing a long finish with a touch of spiciness that was delicious. If you like a juicy, fruit-forward wine with nice acid and tannin structure that packs a little punch you'll definitely enjoy this wine.

Number of wines reviewed in 2010: 112

Kenwood Zinfandel 2007 "Sonoma County"

It's a cool, windy evening so I turned to a fun little wine, Kenwood Zindanfel 2007 "Sonoma County". The wine had a pretty good pedigree so I was looking forward to this younger addition to the line. If you like fruity Zinfandels then this is a wine for you. The wine poured a medium intensity ruby with a tinge of purple into my class. Small deep core but a pretty uniform color out to a well-defined meniscus. The nose was lovely, clean with bright jammy red fruits (cherry and raspberry) with just a hint of spice (coriander and white pepper). in the mouth you get a medium-bodied dry wine with bold fruit, medium acidity and smooth tannins that all come together in a medium length finish. You get just a hint of the 14.5% alcohol but not so much that it throws the wine out of balance. A nice, fruity Zinfandel. Personally I like a little more spice but I can definitely see this being a crowd pleaser.

Number of wines reviewed in 201: 65

Bridlewood Zinfandel 2008

Another Tuesday night so time to go to MA4. Tonight I chose to bring along a bottle of Bridlewood's Zinfandel. Now I've had a lot of Bridlewood Syrah and it's been quite lovely so I had high expectations for their Zinfandel. Alas the hope was not fulfilled. At first it showed great promise, a deep dark rudy in the glass and a lovely nose of blackberry and spicy cedar with a hint of smoke. Once in the mouth though I was crestfallen. After a very brief flash of raspberries I was overwhelmed with a gamey, smokey taste and hits of what seemed to me to be ash. My friend Sarah agreed that the little bit of fruit evaporated quickly in the mouth so I don't think it was just my tongue was off. Now I will say that the cheeseburger I ordered seemed to improve the taste of the wine, but on its own I was disappointed. Oh well, Bridlewood has many lovely Syrahs to try.

Number of wines reviewed in 2010: 35

Brassfield Estate Zinfandel, Monte Sereno Vineyard 2004

Last night I met my friends Sarah and Efrain at temple for our usual Tuesday night libations. For fun I bought along a bottle of Brassfield Estate Zinfandel, Monte Sereno Vineyard. The High Valley region of Lake County was declared an American Viticultural Area (AVA) in 2005 and is home to some of the oldest Zinfandel vines in California. Brassfield has produced a great little Zin that contrary to the trend isn't super hot (14.8% alcohol) but rather very balanced. The nose is greeted by blackberries, cedar, and a touch of peppery mint. The wine is medium-full bodied with supple tannins and good acidity combining with the jammy fruit created a lingering finish that was a great experience.

Number of wines reviewed in 2010: 33

2007 Frei Brothers "Reserve" Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel

The end of another day of moving and while we talked about heading to Jake's On Sixth or The Vine for a glass of wine we were just too beat and went home. Wanting something from the vine I looked at the wine that had not been stored for the move and selected a bottle of 2007 Frei Brothers "Reserve" Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel . The wine has a good reputation earning a 90 from THE Robert Parker so I was looking forward to something exceptional. Upon popping the cork my nose was greated with an interesting mix of earth, cocoa, cherries and a sweet oakiness that was rather pleasant but surprising. I poured a glass and waited a few minutes for the wine to breath. This Zin was a deep, inky purple in the glass and looked rather nice when swirled with good legs and an incredibly deep color. For me, though, the love ended soon afterward. While not bad, I was underwhelmed. The nose did transform into more blueberry and cherry with a lingering oaky spiciness that was pleasant enough but the first sip was disappointing. The wine seemed to me to be a bit along the line of sour cherries with a hint of the aforementioned blueberry. The tannins were not sharp at all, kinda smooth actually, but while all of the components were there the wine just didn't speak to me. Fruit, check. Acid, check. Soft tannins, check. But in this case the whole was not equal to the sum of the parts. The finish was medium length with a touch more spiciness at the end, but the overall experience just didn't live up to expectations.

Number of wines reviewed in 2010: 24

Gnarly Head "Old Vine" Zinfandel 2008

If Napa is known for its Cabernet and Merlot and Sonoma for its Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, Lodi is a destination for Zinfandel lovers and Gnarly Head is known for its reasonably priced excellent offerings. While a bit young this 2008 Old Vine Zin shows some real promise. The wine is luscious and dark hinting at what is in store. Fruit and spice are big on the nose with raspberry jam and spicy oak there andjust a hint of licorice. The wine is medium bodied but a touch tight and young giving a not unpleasant taste but one that telegraphs something better in another year or two. Well constructed, I look forward to sampling the second bottle I purchased in 2011. Recommendation, buy but hold for about another year. Pretty good now, will be excellent next year.

Number of wines reviewed in 2010: 23

Rosenblum Rockpile Road Zinfandel 2007

I've read a lot about Rosenblum Cellars and their Zinfandels so I thought it was high time to try one. I dropped in at 3rd Corner Wine Shop and Bistro in Ocean Beach and picked up a bottle of the 2007 Rockpile Road. This was very exciting for me because I have been tasting quite a few outstanding Zins lately and looked forward to having yet another one by a noted vintner. The wine is very pretty, a deep purple in the glass that was very eye-catching. The nose was full, delivering dark berries and hints of spice with just a touch of cedar and hint of (I swear) tar. The flavors are intense with smooth tannins and just enough acidity to deliver a good finish though to be honest I could have stood a touch more acid to wake it up a little. A good wine but I don't think I would have rated it as well as Wine Spectator did (90 pts).

Number of wines reviewed in 2010: 21

Back to Temecula: Leonesse 2007 Zinfandel

For those of you following my blog you know that the little-known region around Temecula has started producing some wines of note. The top three in terms of consistency of quality as of this moment for yours truly are Alex's Red Barn, Baily Winery, and the supplier of today's wine Leonesse Cellars. In my latest wine club shipment I received their 2007 Vineyard Selection Zinfandel, "Temecula Valley Vineyard". This wine was lovely to look at in the glass, dark ruby in color and nice legs. The nose is full of black and blue fruits (plums, blackberry, and hints of dark cherry) with a touch of cedar and dark chocolate. The wine is sufficiently complex and layered to keep the interest of a Zin lover and yet approachable enough that someone looking for a fun wine will enjoy it. Medium bodied, nice acidity, runs a little hot (15.5%) but with the spice in the finish it all seems to come together. The beef skewers I ordered at MA4 meshed quite well with it as did the spicy crab cakes (go figure). Well done Leonesse! Now get up to Temecula and grab some, only 498 cases were made!

Number of wines reviewed in 2010: 19

Seghesio 2008 Zinfandel Sonoma County

It's winter and my tastes tend to turn to big reds. I had loved the 2007 vintage of Seghestio Zinfandel so thought I would try the latest offering and what fun it was! This wine is loaded with berries (particularly blackberry and raspberry) and spice and just a touch of licorice. Full bodied and layered it was a delight to drink. This wine has a taste palate that will go well most any food. The 2007 was given a 93 rating by Wine Spectator and flew off the shelves, I expect the same for the 2008!

Wines reviewed in 2009: 224

A Bit Of This, A Bit Of That

Went wine tasting at the San Diego Wine Company. This week it was a selection of wines new to the shop. There were some definite hits but a few misses as well:

Luna 2007 "Freakout": Quite an interesting blend of white wine grapes - 7% Ribolla Gialla, 25% Sauvignon Blanc, 33% Pinot Grigio, 35% Chardonnay (wow). Light straw in color, I felt that the Chardonnay over shadowed the other, somewhat lighter grapes. Smokey, toasty and melon were what I picked up most. Not bad, not impressed.

Kunde 2006 "Sonoma Valley" Chardonnay: Again light straw in color, blend of apples, pears, and butter on the nose with decent fruit delivery. Good acid, medium finish. Good everyday kind of Chard and at the price ($9.95) it really could be.

Manu 2008 "Marlborough" Sauvignon Blanc: Nice stone fruits and citrus, hints of herbaceousness, good acidity. A tad tight but nice.

Mont Gras 2007 "Quatro": A Chilean blend of 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Malbec, 25% Syrah and 15% Carmenere, this is a lovely little wine. Deep ruby shading to purple. Nice black currant, cherries, hint of "gaminess" on the nose. A medium bodied wine delivering good fruit and a hint of oak along with balanced acidity and tannins leading to a medium length enjoyable finish.

Eberle 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon: Solid offering by a Paso Robles mainstay (gotta love the pig logo). Nice deep garnet, excellent black fruits and berries on the nose, hints of tobacco and chocolate. Nice mouthfeel and acid/tannin balance. Longish finish, a fine product.

Brassfield 2004 "High Valley" Monte Sereno Zinfandel: From the High Valley appellation just north of Napa comes a nice Zin (currently on sale at SD Wine Company). Deep rich color, fruit-forward nose and nice, good mouthfeel, decent acid/tannin/fruit balance.

Wines reviewed in 2009: 150

Back To Cafe Bleu

My beau and I went to Cafe Bleu for happy hour... great deal on the food and glasses of good wine for $5 each. During this outing I sampled the following:

Valdivieso Sauvignon Blanc, 2007: A pleasant Chilean offering delivering a slightly grassy and citric nose, hints of lime on the tongue combined with a refreshing acidity. Nice opener.

Clos LaChance Zinfandel "Hummingbird Series", 2005: From California's own Central Coast we have a deep cherry-red Zin. Berries, spice (cinnamon?), vanilla on the nose, nice tannin/acid fruit balance with noticeable black fruits and lingering peppery/spicy finish. Somewhat closed out of the bottle, really opened up after about 15 minutes.

Nine Stones Shiraz, 2005: From the Barossa Valley, a pleasant Aussi-style Shiraz. Extremely fruit-forward (dark berries and plum), juicy acidity. Not complex but very drinkable. Finish runs a little hot but can be tempered with some food.

Wines reviewed in 2009: 144

Four Vines Zinfandel Old Vine Cuvee 2006

Last night my love and I spent the evening with Tio Ely and Cory. Tio Ely made dinner, a delicious spaghetti. I brought over a couple of bottles of wine including Four Vines Zinfandel Old Vine Cuvee 2006. The pairing was, I thought, excellent. This fruit-forward wine brought lovely notes of black fruits and spice to the nose while delivering blackberry, plum, and spices to the palate. The flavors combining with smooth tannins and mouthwatering acidity combined with the peppery spiciness of the spaghetti to create a delicious synergy. For $10 a bottle this is a fantastic, food-friendly Zin (and it makes a tasty little drink on its own).

Strangely enough I think it went well with RuPaul's Drag Race too.

Number of wines reviewed in 2009: 141

Folie a Deux Menage a Trois Red 2006

Being home alone tonight I decided to look through my wine collection. I had been watching Bottle Shock (lovely follow up to the morning's Cabernet Sauvignon tasting) and much to my surprise I am terribly Rhone heavy with respect to reds. My home collection is not huge (coming in at a little over 100 bottles) but a good 65% are Rhone varietals (Syrahs and said blends, etc). However, I was still in the mood for a Bordeaux red (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cab Franc, etc) when I found a bottle of Folie a Deux Menage a Trois. This is an interesting little wine, a blend of Zinfandel, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. In many ways it is to me the typical California "drinking" wine (not meant in any way disparaging)... lots and lots of blended jammy red and black fruits, little hints of spice, low tannins and moderate acid, a combo that someone just wanting a red wine to drink would have fun with. This is not in any way, shape, or form an "intellectual" wine, but it is a fun wine and I'm glad I found it. If you're wanting something that says "fun" that almost anyone will enjoy I recommend it (the modest price makes it a great buy).

Wines Reviewed In 2009: 104