Tasting Notes (April 17): Long Overdue Zinfandel Post

Hi folks. Lance here. No, I'm not dead. I'm not even sleepy. In fact, despite an emergency house-painting project I must attend to, I find myself invigorated by the end of the academic year--that time when tenure-track (but untenured) professors with 2 year-old kids go from being so swamped with work that they long for the sweet release of death to being merely very, very busy. To paraphrase the showtune, "Summertime, and the livin's easy at least tolerable . . ."

As a result of my recent ascent to the ranks of the minimally human, I find myself able to begin catching up on three tastings' worth of notes that have been lying dormant in my bookbag or on my desk for as many weeks. (Of course, ditz that I am, I accidentally left my bookbag at home, so today's effort will include the Zinfandel notes only.) Thanks to Bill for not complaining about their tardiness.

Now, the notes. All wines are from California; names inside parentheses indicate American Viticultural Areas (AVA's) within California:

1. Peltier Station 2006 (Lodi; $17.99/bottle)
Bill and Sara tend to start tastings with the more modestly priced wines, which is why most of the time when I'm ooh-ing and ahh-ing about a wine on this blog, it's a ways down on the list. But this rich, full-bodied zin had me paying attention right away, with hints of clove and orange peel on the nose and big, jammy raspberry preserves and toasty spice on the palate. The finish is surprisingly long for a <$20 bottle. Very tasty, and an excellent value.

2. Seghesio 2005 (Sonoma; $21.99/bottle)
This very rich, very full-bodied zin offers wild berry, vanilla, and toast notes on the nose and tastes like a big bowl of smashed ripe blueberries with bourbon-laced whipped cream. A sinful pleasure, to be sure.

3. Four Vines "The Sophisticate" 2004 (Sonoma; $21.99/bottle)
The Sophisticate lives up to its name, with a dark but subtle olive note on the palate in addition to the big brambly fruit. The smooth, silky mouthfeel reveals a balance and refinement that you just don't find in most zinfandels. And the peppery finish hangs around for a good 45 seconds or more. One of my favorite zins.

4. Turley "The Juvenile" 2003 (Multi-Vineyard; $29.99/bottle)
Maybe I had olives on my mind after the Four Vines, but the Turley's nose also has a faint black olive note to go with the plum and caramel aromas. The palate is thick and very rich, with ripe berry fruit and--again--a slight briny/olive quality to add interest and differentiate this wine from your run-of-the-mill zin.

5. Orin Swift "The Prisoner" 2005 (Napa; $36.99/bottle)
This wine has a complex nose of mixed berry jam layered with spicy, herbal, and red licorice notes. The full-bodied palate reveals yet another big-but-refined-for-a-zin combination of dark fruit, lots of piquant spice, and licorice flavors. The long finish just keeps the licorice coming. Very nice, indeed.

6. Ravenswood Old Hill 2004 (Sonoma; $51.99/bottle)
This one was more tannic than I expected, though I welcomed the balance the tannins offered to the jammy ripeness of the fruit. It was also distinctly herbal on the palate, while still managing to be expressive of the jammy, wild, spicy fruit that is zinfandel's hallmark. Of all the wines in this lineup, the Ravenswood seems tailor made for food--especially a juicy grilled steak.