{"id":47,"date":"2009-03-16T19:02:50","date_gmt":"2009-03-16T19:02:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kenswineguide.com\/blog\/?p=47"},"modified":"2009-03-16T19:38:30","modified_gmt":"2009-03-16T19:38:30","slug":"california-zinfandel-winners","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/?p=47","title":{"rendered":"California Zinfandel Winners"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"ZinfandelWe recently conducted a blind tasting of California Zinfandels<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 Most of the submissions were from the 2006 vintage.\u00c2\u00a0 There were a few from the 2005\u00c2\u00a0and the 2007 vintages.\u00c2\u00a0 For the most part we found the 2006 vintage to be more tannic and less fruit driven than the 2005 vintage.\u00c2\u00a0 Where the 2005 vintage tended to be soft, elegant, and food-friendly, 2006 was more like the 2004 vintage in that its tannins and power are the story.\u00c2\u00a0 The interesting part will be to see how some of theses wines develop with some cellar time.\u00c2\u00a0 As the tannins disappear the question is will there be enough fruit in these wines for them to still be really interesting in 3 to 5 years?\u00c2\u00a0 One panelist commented that the entry level Zins might be more favorable than the premium offerings in 2006 since their tannin levels are more approachable now and the fruit is still young and fresh<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

In the end we found several Very Good options and only a few that we did not recommend at the premium price level.\u00c2\u00a0 The consensus was that there were only a few 90 point wines.\u00c2\u00a0 In our initial blind tasting we tried fourteen Zins.\u00c2\u00a0 Three of them scored Very Good + or over 90 points.\u00c2\u00a0 Eight others scored Very Good.\u00c2\u00a0 Three wines did not make the cut.\u00c2\u00a0 In our follow-up mini tasting, the results were less impressive.\u00c2\u00a0 Only seven wines out of fifteen wines were recommended.<\/p>\n

\"2006Our winner is not an unknown in the Zinfandel world.\u00c2\u00a0 Hartford Family\u00c2\u00a0Winery <\/strong>has been producing award winning Zins for many years.\u00c2\u00a0 This year the Hartford Family Winery 2006 \u201cRussian River Valley\u201d\u009d Zinfandel for $35<\/a><\/strong> stole the show.\u00c2\u00a0 The panel scored this wine 91.6 points.\u00c2\u00a0 It is medium-bodied, very well-balanced, has good structure, and delicious silky blackberry flavors with a dash of cinnamon.\u00c2\u00a0 The finish sails on for quite some time<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 The panel was quite impressed and enamored by this wine.\u00c2\u00a0 The primary factor that made this Zin stand out was how well the tannins were tamed and managed<\/strong> compared to some of the other entries.<\/p>\n

\"2005Our second place finisher came from the 2005 vintage.\u00c2\u00a0 It seems that every year in our Zin tasting an older wine sneaks into one of the top slots in our blind tasting.\u00c2\u00a0 This year it was the 2005 Murphy Goode \u201cSnake Eyes\u201d\u009d Zinfandel<\/a> $35.<\/strong>\u00c2\u00a0 This wine also scored Very Good + and was awarded 91 points.\u00c2\u00a0 This wine was medium-bodied and very well-balanced and silky with delicious spicy black cherry flavors and a hint of chocolate.\u00c2\u00a0 The panel would pair this food-friendly Zin with a filet mignon or even a tuna steak.\u00c2\u00a0 This Zinfandel was a perfect example of the refinement that could be achieved in the 2005 vintage at the premium level<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"2006In third place, we were not surprised to see one of Carol Shelton's Zins near the top.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0The Carol Shelton\u00c2\u00a02006 \u201cRocky Reserve\u201d\u009d Zinfandel<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0from the Florence Vineyard in Rockpile<\/strong> is always a steady performer.\u00c2\u00a0 The panel scored this wine 90.1 points.\u00c2\u00a0 This wine retails for $33<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 This Zin was medium-bodied, smooth, and balanced.\u00c2\u00a0 It displayed savory cherry and chocolate flavors.\u00c2\u00a0 The panel thought this Zin would be ideal with a cowboy rib eye or mushroom risotto.<\/p>\n

In fourth place was an old standby.\u00c2\u00a0 The 2006 Michael & David Phillips \u201cEarthquake\u201d\u009d<\/a> for $28<\/strong> frequently seems to delight our tasting panel.\u00c2\u00a0 The panel scored it 89.2 points.\u00c2\u00a0 We described this wine as medium-bodied and a juicy fruit bomb.\u00c2\u00a0 The flavor profile is tart black raspberry with notes of black pepper.\u00c2\u00a0 It was built for a New York sirloin steak with a brown mushroom sauce.\u00c2\u00a0 Next up was the 2006 Peachy Canyon \u201cMustang Springs\u201d\u009d Zinfandel<\/a> $36<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 This offering scored a Very Good with 88.5 points.\u00c2\u00a0 This Zin was smooth and elegant with light black raspberry flavors.\u00c2\u00a0 It also had very interesting building tannins that lingered for quite some time.\u00c2\u00a0 The panel thought this offering was quite versatile and would pair it with braised short ribs, meatloaf, or roast beef.<\/p>\n

Rounding out our top wines was the 2006 Carlisle \u201cCarlisle Vineyard\u201d\u009d Zinfandel<\/a> <\/strong>from the Russian River Valley $40<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 The panel awarded this wine with 88.1 points.\u00c2\u00a0 This offering is 84% Zinfandel and 16% Mixed Blacks.\u00c2\u00a0 This wine had a black currant flavor profile with a hint of black licorice mixed in.\u00c2\u00a0 The panel would match this wine with veal medallions in a brown sauce.<\/p>\n

Other recommended Zinfandels from the first tasting:<\/strong>
\n7.) Peachy Canyon 2006 \u201cOld School House\u201d\u009d Zinfandel<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0$36 (Paso Robles, CA) (87.9)
\n8.) Alexander Valley Vineyards 2005 “Redemption Zin\u201d\u009d<\/a> $25 (Dry Creek Valley, CA) (87.6)
\n9.) Ravenswood 2006 Zinfandel \u201cBig River\u201d\u009d<\/a> $35 (Alexander Valley, CA) (87.5)
\n10.) Ravenswood 2006 \u201cBelloni\u201d\u009d Zinfandel<\/a> $35 (Russian River Valley, CA) (87.1)
\n11.) Ravenswood 2006 \u201cDickerson\u201d\u009d Zinfandel<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0$35 (Napa Valley, CA) (87.0)<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"2006In the second tasting we focused on value priced Zins\u00c2\u00a0and new brands.\u00c2\u00a0 The winner of this tasting was the Murphy Goode 2006 \u201cLiars Dice\u201d\u009d Zinfandel<\/a> for $21<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 We scored this wine Very Good and awarded it with 89 points.\u00c2\u00a0 I found this entry level Zin from Sonoma County to be showing quite well right now.\u00c2\u00a0 It is medium-bodied, nicely balanced, and very easy to drink with its tasty black raspberry flavors and spicy black pepper notes.\u00c2\u00a0 It is very food-friendly and would pair nicely with a gourmet burger.<\/p>\n

\"2005Another wine that scored 89 points is the Gloria's 2005 \u201cOld Vines\u201d\u009d Zinfandel<\/a> from Mendocino<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 There is not a lot of this wine, with 130 cases produced.\u00c2\u00a0 For $18<\/strong> we found this wine to be quite impressive.\u00c2\u00a0 It opens with an attractive and aromatic boysenberry-like bouquet with a hint of spice.\u00c2\u00a0 It continues with silky and soft light boysenberry jam flavors.\u00c2\u00a0 We would pair it with a juicy pulled pork sandwich.<\/p>\n

In third place was a producer that is new to the game.\u00c2\u00a0 From what I can see and taste, they are off to a very good start.\u00c2\u00a0 The 2006 Big Fish Zin <\/a>from Dry Creek Valley<\/strong> was really good and we scored it 88.5 points.\u00c2\u00a0 It opens with an attractive spicy, black cherry bouquet.\u00c2\u00a0 It was nicely balanced, smooth, and juicy with very tasty black cherry flavors and notes of vanilla.\u00c2\u00a0 I was also impressed with its managed tannins which were nicely prolonged.\u00c2\u00a0 It was quite impressive for a first time effort.\u00c2\u00a0 We did note however, that at $42<\/strong>, it did have the highest price point when compared to all the other entries from both tastings.<\/p>\n

\"2007Our fourth place wine is not a stranger to recognition.\u00c2\u00a0 The 2007 Edmeades<\/a> $20 from Mendocino County <\/strong>was one of the first Zinfandels we tried of the 2007 vintage.\u00c2\u00a0 What we found was a balanced and very juicy wine with ripe raspberry flavors.\u00c2\u00a0 We scored it Very Good and awarded it with 88 points.\u00c2\u00a0 We thought this was a very approachable Zin that would pair nicely with grilled barbecue chicken.<\/p>\n

Carol Shelton returns to the recommended circle with her second entry.\u00c2\u00a0 The Carol Shelton 2006 \u201cMonga Zin\u201d\u009d<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0$21 from the Lopez Vineyard in the Cucamonga Valley<\/strong> scored 87 points.\u00c2\u00a0 This offering opens with a red currant-like bouquet with a hint of mint.\u00c2\u00a0 It was medium-bodied, balanced, and has a dry mouth feel.\u00c2\u00a0 The flavor profile is a dusty black cherry with notes of black currant.\u00c2\u00a0 We thought it would pair really well with a slow cooked beef brisket.\u00c2\u00a0 Next up was the 2007 Alexander Valley Vineyards \u201cSin Zin<\/a>.\u201d\u009d<\/strong>\u00c2\u00a0 This $20<\/strong> offering from the Alexander Valley is a nice quaffing wine for $20.\u00c2\u00a0 It is balanced and very easy to drink with light black raspberry flavors with a hint of black pepper.\u00c2\u00a0 It would be a perfect compliment for grilled barbecue chicken this summer.<\/p>\n

Finally, I would be very remiss if I did not mention two other high flying Zins that we have tried in the last 6 months.<\/p>\n

\"2007The 2007 Seghesio “Sonoma County” Zinfandel<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0<\/strong>might be the best Zin for the money at $24<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 I scored this wine a Very Good+ and gave it 91 points.\u00c2\u00a0 Some of my colleagues liked it even more that I did.\u00c2\u00a0 This wine is consistently Very Good or better every year.\u00c2\u00a0 I personally believe this year’s vintage might be the best offering at the Sonoma County level that I can remember.\u00c2\u00a0 It is medium-bodied, nicely balanced, and as smooth as silk, with spicy blueberry flavors and a hint of black pepper.\u00c2\u00a0 It was truly impressive for an entry level offering.<\/p>\n

Lastly, you have to go out of your way to get your hands on a bottle or two of the 2005 Carol Shelton Zinfandel from the “Maple Vineyard”<\/a> in the Dry Creek Valley<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 This Zin is the wine that Zin lovers dream about!!<\/strong>\u00c2\u00a0 At $33 <\/strong>this wine is a steal.\u00c2\u00a0 I scored it 93 points.\u00c2\u00a0 It is full-bodied, smooth, and well balanced.\u00c2\u00a0 The flavor profile is tasty with juicy raspberry flavors.\u00c2\u00a0 This is the style of Zin that made the Maple Vineyard so famous among Zin fans.\u00c2\u00a0 Grab a bottle and enjoy!<\/p>\n

We hope you enjoy these Zinfandels as much as we did.\u00c2\u00a0 There are many styles to choose from.\u00c2\u00a0 Find the style and vintage that works best for you.\u00c2\u00a0 Given the economy you might even find some bargains.\u00c2\u00a0 Cheers until next post.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Ken<\/p>\n

To\u00c2\u00a0view the<\/strong> complete list of Ken's Wine Guide recommended Zinfandels click here<\/a><\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We recently conducted a blind tasting of California Zinfandels.\u00c2\u00a0 Most of the submissions were from the 2006 vintage.\u00c2\u00a0 There were a few from the 2005\u00c2\u00a0and the 2007 vintages.\u00c2\u00a0 For the most part we found the 2006 vintage to be more tannic and less fruit driven than the 2005 vintage.\u00c2\u00a0 Where the 2005 vintage tended to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[92,8,6,39],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-47","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-california","category-wine-recommendations","category-wine-reviews","category-zinfandel"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=47"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=47"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=47"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=47"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}