Fine Wines : Zinfandel

WA 90pts. - Tasting Notes - It is a nice looking wine, showing dark ruby-red color to the edge of the glass. In the Chateau Montelena tradition, this is an elegant, restrained, claret style Zinfandel. On the nose it has opulent, spicy black cherry varietal character, appealing briar and smoke overtones, and a layered, elegant structure. The palate is nicely balanced, with a bit of pepper and briar, and a refined texture. Overall this wine is tasty and fresh, offering bright fruit in a well balanced, suave package.

The 2008 Saldo is rich, ripe, and full-bodied, with aromas of black cherry and bramble fruit. The tannins are soft but the wine has a huge mid-palate. The soft, lush finish lingers. 2008 was a perfect vintage for Saldo. The hot weather was ideal for creating ripe zinfandel.

If you set out to create a classic California Zinfandel, you couldn't do better than this wine — probably Ravenswood's single best-known bottling. Made with grapes from every traditional Zin-growing area in the state, it's redolent with the varietal's trademark raspberry-and-spice character, backed by enough oak to lend it presence and sufficient structure to give it backbone. In especially ripe years, blackberries and black cherries tend to come forward, while cooler vintages show more charming red-fruit character. It isn't any mystery that this wine is so popular: rich, full, somewhat soft and altogether delicious, it's terrific with all kinds of food. The secret, rather, lies within Joel's tastebuds, which confer a crowd-pleasing knockout every year.

Rombauer Vineyards' 2005 Zinfandel represents the very essence of California Zinfandel. Full bodied, fruit forward, and juicy, this wine boasts bright aromas of black cherry and plum, with a light spicy character all its own. Layers of cranberries, plums, and dark berries flow together for a rich, full flavor with a sensational mouth feel. A dark berry fruit finish lingers on the palate, complementing the rich flavors of this beautiful wine.