More '99 Zins - |
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Notes and impressions from a tasting of mostly '99 Zinfandel - Saturday, May 26, 2001, at the Wine Exchange in Orange, CA. Twenty-one wines were poured for a tasting fee of $19. |
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Overall impressions: very nice group of '99s, from several appellations. For me, the Carlisle was the Show Stopper. Close behind, the Dutton Goldfield was a beautiful wine, with the price its only liability. Both Rosenblum wines were very nice, with the Rockpile exposing just a little more of that dark fruit. The Nalle was lovely, and semed to have a little more zing than what I've found to be their usual suave entries. Pricing here was affordable, and there were a slew of wines in the under-$20 category that should satisfy nicely. The lone non-'99, a '97 Gallo Barelli Creek is just hitting its stride, and for $15, well it's a no-brainer. Actually, there were no disappontments here. They were all nice wines - some of them were just better than others. |
1999 Bogle
Zinfandel Old Vines - California. $8.49.
Medium garnet ruby color. Slightly simple raspberry nose with light
aromas of smoky vanilla and menthol. Ample fruit and substance,
but also oaky and woody in mouthfeel, with a bit of a brief coarse
finish. 1999 Cosentino
Zinfandel Cigar Zin - Lodi. $15.99. Medium ruby
garnet color. Minty oak, sweet toast, vanilla and raspberry aromas,
with a slight Late Harvest or alcohol quality. Moderate and sweet
mouthfeel, with nice claret-style flavors and balance, and a sweet
fruity finish. More juice, than chewy fruit. 1999 Nadeau
Zinfandel Old Vines - Paso Robles. $18.99. Medium-dark
garnet color. Floral and candied nose, with some obvious oak notes
to the burnished smooth old vine aroma. Tasty, smooth and ripe mouthfeel,
with a nice long finish. 1999 Cosentino
Zinfandel The Zin - California. $17.99. Medium ruby purple
color. Nose of raspberry, boysenberry, and hints of vanilla and
tar. Full mouthfeel, with lots of nearly sweet boysenberry fruit,
nice balance, and a long finish. Has more substance than the Cigar
Zin. 1999 Ridge
Zinfandel - Paso Robles. $22.99. Medium dark ruby purple color.
Nose of boysenberry, blackberry, and blueberry, with a hint of chocolate.
Chewy mouthfeel, very nice balance, lots of fruit, with a tinge
of chocolate on a very long finish. Zin fruit is from the Dusi Vnyd;
also has a dose of petite Sirah. 1999 Sobon
Zinfandel Fiddletown - Amador Co. $13.99. Dark ruby color.
Dense, ripe, floral nose, with blackberry, raspberry, chocolate
and licorice aromas. Chewy mouthfeel, sweet ripe flavors, and a
long smooth finish. 1999 Karly
Zinfandel Sadie Upton - Amador Co. $18.99. Dark ruby
color. Big, dense, slightly coarse nose of ripe fruit and chocolate-mint.
Full mouthfeel, a bit astringent or acidic on the palate, with ample
fruit, and very long tasty finish. 1999 J.C.
Cellars Zinfandel Cuvee Isabel - Rhodes Vnyd, Redwood Valley.
$29.99. Very dark ruby purple color. Lush sweet nose of raspberry,
boysenberry, vanila, and a touch of tar. Chewy mouthfeel, nice raspberry
and boysenberry flavors, and a long off-sweet finish. 1999 Ravenswood
Zinfandel - Napa Valley. $11.99. Medium dark garnet color. Herbaceous
and slightly weedy nose, with dark fruit, tar, and a bit of rubber.
Chewy mouthfeel, with fleshy raspberry and boysenberry fruit, tar,
and licorice. Certainly tastes better than it smells. 1999 Green
& Red Zinfandel - Chiles Valley Vnyd, Napa Valley. $18.99.
Medium ruby color. Nose of raspberry, blackberry, floral aromas,
and sweet oak. Medium-full mouthfeel, with very nice balance, lots
of fruity flavors, and a long toasty finish. Somewhat Claret in
style - displaying elegance over power. 1999 Tarius
Zinfandel - Korte Ranch, Napa Valley. $23.99. Medium dark garnet
ruby color. Slightly herbacerous nose of raspberry, oak, and other
hardwoods. Sweet and meaty mouthfeel - something less than chewy,
with excellent balance, lots of creamy fruit, and a long sweet toasty
and smooth finish. Very nice. 1999 Beaulieu
Vineyards Zinfandel Signet Collection - Napa Valley. $23.99.
Medium dark ruby color. Seductive nose of dark fruits, tar, toast,
and a hint of vanilla. Meaty and chewy mouthfeel, lots of moderately
oaked raspberry and boysenberry fruit, and a long meaty finish. 1999 Robert
Biale Zinfandel - Napa Valley. $29.99.Dark ruby garnet color.
Very integrated nose of raspberry, blackberry, tar, anise, mint
and a touch of pine. Seemingly well-oaked mouthfeel is a little
coarse on the front end, but smooths out from mid to latter palate
to a nice long tasty finish.
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1999 Downing
Family Zinfandel Fly by Night - Oakville. $34.99. Dark
ruby color. Nose of raspberry, blackberry, chocolate, anise, pepper,
and tar. Chewy mouthfeel, off-sweet fruit, and long finish. Nice
enough wine, but the flavors just seem a little more deeply rooted
in non-fruity qualities - especially for the price. 1999 Nalle
Zinfandel - Dry Creek Valley. $19.99. Dark ruby color.
Nose of rich sweet raspberry jam, with an Asian spice and sweet
sawdust note. Big, slightly toasty and meaty mouthfeel, with a long
off-sweet to sweet-sour finish. Probably the best Nalle I've ever
had. 1999 Rosenblum
Zinfandel - Rockpile Road Vnyd, Dry Creek Valley. $16.99. Medium-dark
ruby garnet color. Dense and somewhat restrained nose of raspberry,
blackberry, ink, and soy sauce. Sweet and chewy mouthfeel, quite
fruity and very tasty, with a nice long finish. 1999 Pezzi-King
Zinfandel - Maple Vnyd, Dry Creek Valley. $19.99. Dark ruby
garnet color. Nose of blueberry, blackberry, tar, anise, and sweet
oak. Slightly chewy mouthfeel, toasty blackberry/raspberry flavors,
and sweet long finish. 1999 Rosenblum
Zinfandel - Harris-Kratka Vnyd, Alexander Valley. $19.99. Dark
ruby garnet color. Nose of blueberry, blackberry, boysenberry, tar,
anise, and lots of toast. Chewy mouthfeel, tasty blackberry, tar,
and toast flavors, and a medium-long finish. The 25% Carignane seems
to give this otherwise smooth wine, a big boost at the outset. 1999 Carlisle
Zinfandel - Dry Creek Valley. $25.99. Dark ruby garnet color.
Lush and complex nose of blackberry, raspberry, boysenberry, and
lots of toasty aromas. Chewy mouthfeel, loads of black fruit, excellent
balance, long meaty finish, and delicious aftertaste. 1999 Dutton
Goldfield Zinfandel - Dutton Ranch, Morelli Ln Vnyd, Russian River
Valley. $31.99. Dark ruby garnet color. Lively nose of raspberry,
boysenberry, brown sugar, and soy sauce. Juicy and chewy mouthfeel,
with off-sweet fruit, excellent balance, and very long finish 1997 Gallo
Sonoma Zinfandel - Barelli Creek Vnyd, Dry Creek Valley. $15.99.
Very dark ruby garnet color. Nose of boysenberry, tar, soy sauce,
and black olive. Off-sweet, slightly olivey flavor, full mouthfeel,
nice balance, long slightly tart finish. |
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Mail & Comments - Eric Anderson
