This question was recently posed in an online wine forum, and the reaction was surprisingly (to me) split down the middle. Many of the posters discussed Zin's lack of "flair", too-high alcohol levels, and a general disinterest for the grape. Others were singing the praise of Zinfandel, lauding the fact that they are generally great values, are perfect matches for heavier foods, and exhibit more complexity than most people think.
Well, the discussion inspired me....to buy a boatload of Zinfandel for my home cellar! Admittedly, I've overlooked Zin myself the last year; our last full-on Zinfandel tasting was almost a year ago at Stimmel's Market, and despite the fact that I've had two outstanding Zin-based blends the last six months (Orin Swift The Prisoner, JC Cellars Impostor), it's been a long time since I've popped any at home. So, I went and picked up several bottles of Schrader's Hell Hole Zin, a few bottles of Turley Juvenile, a bunch of stuff from Armida, and a few more bottles of The Prisoner. None of these bottles cost me more than $40 (even the Turley), and all will provide immediate gratification.
The best Zinfandels are full-bodied, show lush dark fruits, and tease with a touch of pepper on the finish. Unlike first-growths and cult cabs, Zin is often times best drunk young - not to mention you won't have to refinance your home to buy a case of good Zin. I'll be trying these Zins over the coming weeks, and will be picking up some other great bottles at Stimmel's as well. If you want to share in my Zinfandel odyssey, here are some terrific ones you can pick up at the market:
Seghesio - only $20 or so, this is a great bottle. One of Wine Spectator's Top 100 wines of 2007.
Rosenblum Rockpile - Rosenblum is regarded as one of the absolute best Zin producers, and the Rockpile is their showcase bottle. A little pricier (about $40), but a big, big wine.
Kuleto - under $30, this is a steal. Loads of fruit and spice.
Peter Franus - great texture and mouthfeel, a go-to Zin for me.
Cheers!
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5 comments:
You know Bill, I was thinking about Zins too. It's been a while since we haven't had them at a tasting. I don't know them very well. I've had some entry level ones that weren't great, but the mid-priced ones, as you said, are very good QPR.
For a very inexpensive Zinfandel option, I like the Ravenswood Sonoma County. At just a few dollars more than Ravenswood's entry-level zin, the uninspired "Vintner's Blend," the Sonoma County blend has nice fruit, integrated oak, and a decently smooth mouthfeel as well.
Let's taste some zins!
Oh, and on an unrelated note, when's the next blind tasting?
The blind tastings have been on a quarterly cycle, so we'll definitely have one in March. This time, I'll be on the other side of the bar - putting my money where my mouth is.
Those all sound great, but IMO, it is the almighty White Zinfandel grape that consistently comes out on top - truly proving itself to be the superior varietal.
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