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ZINFANDELS 1995 & YOUNGER
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ZINFANDELS
1995 & YOUNGER
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April 10, 2000
• Le Provence Club Room
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Zinfandel is
California's indigenous vinifera grape, our red pride,
our faithful barbecue companion. Most PfW members agree
that this is a varietal to be appreciated in its youth,
since voluptuous fruit often helps to balance and mask
the frequent higher alcohol levels of this wine. So we
eliminated the possibility of helping clear anyone's
cellar of those old, dried-out, hot, tannic zin remnants
and tasted some fairly recent examples with Diana's
grilled sausages and salad.
Brand
Vintage
& Varietal or
Type
Appellation
-$ price
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Consensus
Tasting Notes
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#Rank
Buying
Advice
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Zoom
1998 Zinfandel
Dry Creek
Valley -$21.
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Medium-dark
purple; intense, bright, jammy, sweet,
blackberry, and strawberry fruit aromas, faintly
tarry with hints of black pepper and spice;
pleasant entry, big, jammy-toasty fruit flavors;
light to medium body with some richness; nicely
balanced, easy-drinking with soft tannins. (made
at Rosenblum Winery)
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#1
Very
Highly
Recommended
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Rancho
Zabaco
1997 Zinfandel
Dry Creek
Valley -$14.
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Medium dark
garnet; very appealing raspberry fruit and
lavender aroma with sweet oak, vanilla, orange
peel, maple, licorice and white pepper hints;
flavors similar with strong brandy, prune, or
orange peel elements; medium body, smooth,
slightly rich; balanced tannins; slightly cedary
element and heat in finish.
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#2
Very
Highly
Recommended
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Ridge
1997 Zinfandel
"Sonoma Station"
Sonoma
$16.
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Medium dark,
youthful violet tones; very intense blackberry
with hints of brambly-dusty cassis, caramel,
cheese and terpine; pleasing fruit flavors with
some drying oak, smoke; balanced, slightly tart;
tannic, lingering finish with lots of berry. (a
blend of 75% Zinfandel, 13% Carignan, 8% Petite
Sirah, 4% Alicante Bouschet)
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#3
Very
Highly
Recommended
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Brown
Estate
1997 Zinfandel
Napa
Valley -$17.
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Medium to dark
ruby; very jammy, blackberry, cassis or raisiny,
faintly spicy (clove), minty with a whisper of
ethyl acetate, vanillin, or varnish; sweet
entry, very big flavors similar to nose; portish
balance, with some residual sugar; quite tannic;
long, slightly drying finish.
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#4
Highly
Recommended
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Edmeades
1996 Zinfandel
Mendocino
-$17.
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Medium garnet;
red berry, cherry, jammy fruit aromas with hints
of cocoa powder, menthol, black pepper, violets,
citrus, soap, leather, smoke and tar; nice
entry, very big red raspberry flavors with more
fruit than oak; good structure, very balanced;
long finish with some heat.
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#5
Highly
Recommended
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Ridge
1998 Zinfandel
"Sonoma Station"
Sonoma -
$16.
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Very deep
violet; attractive, blackberry, blueberry,
lavender, violet, slightly cedary-oaky aromas,
with spicy, clove, menthol, or eucalyptus notes;
fruity, slightly dusty-oaky flavors; medium
body; tart balance; somewhat harsh, big tannins;
short, dry, slightly coarse, tannic finish. (a
blend of 75% Zinfandel, 11% Carignan, 9%
Alicante Bouschet, 5% Petite Sirah)
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#6
Highly
Recommended
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Rocking
Horse
1997 Zinfandel
"Fat Lady Sings"
Napa
Valley, Howell Mountain
"Lamborn" -$20.
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Medium violet,
inky; muted, elegant, blueberry and citrus
aromas with some jamminess, faint stemminess and
black pepper; green, lean, underripe, immature
flavors; light body, thin; slightly harsh
tannins; slightly hot finish.
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#7
Recommended
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Selby
1995 Zinfandel
Sonoma
County -$20.
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Medium garnet;
high alcohol, dried berry, dusty, earthy,
brambly, faint band-aid, coffee, charcoal;
pleasant entry, extracted cherry fruit flavors,
faintly medicinal middle; slightly tart balance;
drying, softly tannic finish.
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#8
Recommended
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Adelaida
(nv) Zinfandel
Paso
Robles -$13.
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Light to
medium garnet; very high alcohol and extracted,
jammy, citrussy, vanillin, menthol,
cedary-cinnamon aromas with ethyl acetate; big,
youthful flavors; balance is slightly tart; hot
finish.
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#9
Somewhat
Recommended
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Peirano
Estate
1995 Zinfandel
Lodi
-$10.
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Light to
medium garnet; briny, brambly, musty-funky, dill
(American oak?), basil, green pea, soy sauce,
stemmy aromas; flavors dominated by green,
dill-oaky component over blueberries; medium
body, well-balanced, some richness; flabby, very
soft tannins, slightly bitter finish.
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#10
Not
Recommended
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Panel
included Mark, Deanna, Glenn, Diana,
Roy,
Marlene, Jon, Jim, Greg, and James
About
Zinfandel
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