Browse Tag

zinfandel

Big Tulocay country

Tulocay 2001 Zinfandel (Amador County) – 15.7%. Based on the color, I’d think about drinking this. Based on the palate, I’d wait. Based on the structure, I’d have to choose against Caol Ila. How to solve this dilemma? Twisted, back-country berries and black pepper-dominated spice mark the wine’s unmistakable origin, but there’s a little more heat than usual (even for often-fiery Amador zin), and a lot of spirituous invective. As a pure expression of “fuck you” Californicated aggression towards even its most spiritually native of grapes, it’s a triumphant achievement, and I honestly do admire it for that quality. I even enjoy it on those terms. As a wine in the greater world of such beverages, however, it’s a bit much. (10/08)

Up the creek

[squirrel]Nalle 2004 Zinfandel (Dry Creek Valley) – 13.9%. A bit more advanced than I’d have expected – just a bit, though – with some of the very pleasant wild-berry fruit (tending more towards red than blue, purple, or black) having yielded to spice and a wavy, still-indistinct earthiness. But it’s such an easygoing pleasure to drink. (9/08)

Thank you, ano

[label]Graziano 2004 Zinfandel (Mendocino) – 14.5%. Simple, clean, and direct; a burst of zingy fruit amongst tangled vines, with acidity that will remind one of the zins of yesteryear. Fun and gluggable. (8/08)

Copain, no gain

[vine]Copain 2004 Zinfandel Arrowhead Mountain (Sonoma Valley) – 14.5%. $39.99. Not as heavy as it seems at first sniff, but ponderous, with a thick layer of oak that pretty much obliterates the sludgy fruit. Young Ridge tastes like this, and the wine is otherwise restrained, so it could very well age beautifully. It certainly isn’t any fun to drink now. And the price is…aggressive. But I’d hold it with cautious optimism, and for a while. (8/08)

The Mayacamas, the Maya go

[vineyard]Storybook Mountain 1996 Zinfandel Mayacamas Range (Napa Valley) – 14.3%. Really good, with nicely developed black fruit turning towards peppercorn and black dust, yet still firm with structure. There’s a cohesiveness that’s not always found in zin, and a balanced confidence rarely found in Napa zin, that are immensely appealing. This should age for a long, long time, though eventually I think the tannin will outlast the fruit. (8/08)

Lytton hüs

[tasting room]Ridge 1998 Lytton Springs (Dry Creek Valley) – 14.3%. Pretty much ready, with the primary, oak-dominated “perfume” still present, yet the red and black berries and plums softened and lush with spice in the manner of a well-aged Lytton. Drink it now, while waiting for more structured and muscular vintages to reach maturity. (8/08)

Trout face mask

Quivira “Steelhead” 2006 Zinfandel (Dry Creek Valley) – 13.8%. Wan and almost flavorless, with no more than a hint of blue-black fruit. A pretty pathetic effort. Not corked. Just lousy. (7/08)

That Kunde-do spirit

[vineyard]Kunde 2000 Zinfandel (Sonoma Valley) – I’d be surprised if this wine has changed much since its youth. There’s some spicy fruit, less concentrated than the wine deserves, with some obvious wood and a little spike of acidity (probably the only indication of age). Average. (7/08)

Easton exposure

[vineyard]Easton 2006 Zinfandel (Amador County) – Comes in columns, with separation and little integration, of sweet black fruit, pepper-spice, wild-eyed – almost olive-like, though the wine doesn’t taste of olives – brininess, and minor structure. The finish is shorter than usual, and there’s a significant final chord of vanilla. This might just need a little bit of time to knit, but I think it’s not quite the wine it has been in recent years. (7/08)