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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Drinking window: Drink between 2017 and 2022 (based on 4 user opinions) |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 89.7 pts. and median of 90 pts. in 43 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by ssekdad on 2/2/2024 & rated 85 points: lost the original brambly fruit character that I remember, a little awkward and unbalanced now, probably kept it too long (64 views) | | | Tasted by wtianseter on 1/1/2024 & rated 91 points: Fruity, spicy, and downright good with a smoothness that is a wonderful expression of its age. (81 views) | | | Tasted by wtianseter on 5/22/2023 & rated 92 points: My, what four more years of aging did! We had 2 bottles and both showed equally well. Lush and full flavors of Blueberries and Blackberries with a smooth mouth-feel that had a light, but persistent briariness on the edges. A light tannin came into the middle and intensified to a nice, moderate level at the end of the mouth. This wine is still going strong and drinking superbly right now. (129 views) | | | Tasted by schlotz on 1/20/2022 & rated 91 points: Last bottle and well worth it! (311 views) | | | Tasted by cchoukal on 4/1/2020: PnP. Purple garnet and slightly opaque in the glass, some sediment. Nose is sweet strawberry jam and pepper. Palate is sort of simple with sweet red fruit and spices with heat from alcohol. Improved a little over a couple days. What can I say, it’s a <$20 Italian field blend from super old vines in a weird part of CA. How good does it need to be? It easily exceeds whatever your answer is, but if you drink a ton of sophisticated wine, in general, you’ll find this wanting. (582 views) | | | Tasted by wtianseter on 7/27/2019 & rated 89 points: Fruity, spicy and drinkable (634 views) | | | Tasted by wtianseter on 4/13/2019 & rated 88 points: This bottle was not as good as most but still nice and drinkable (639 views) | | | Tasted by wtianseter on 1/8/2018 & rated 90 points: This is a fruity, juicy and indulgent Zin. It has nice spice and briariness and good balance. Finish is a tight tannic oak and fruit. It has good acid so along with a nice structure, it should be able to hang around for years. (1213 views) | | | Tasted by thalver on 12/13/2017: Last of a six pack, and probably the best showing of any. Descent aromatics, good balance, medium short finish..other bottles 88-90 pts, this one 90plus (1228 views) | | | Tasted by mzmijewski on 7/5/2017 & rated 86 points: Alcohol overpowers the wine. Acid is second and finish is short. (1427 views) | | | Tasted by thalver on 6/11/2017: bottle number 5 out of a 6 pick..popped and poured. This seems to be opening up, most others have shown quite tight and reticent. The nose has become more apparent, and dark fruits more expressive on the palate. It can probably go for sometime. (1270 views) | | | Tasted by fm1488 on 5/21/2017 & rated 79 points: I haven't poured a Zin in a while. I tend to drink Italy and Rhone wines with some cab and Bordeaux in the mix now and then. I like and have had some great Zins, particularly ones like Saldo and such that are often combined with Syrah and bring those hints of spice and licorice. Not sure what to expect here but the label attracted me and the price was a good every day wine so we will see.
Color is deep purple and opaque. Wine has good clarity overall. The nose shouts Zin. It is fruit forward but there is a medicinal backdrop I am not in love with. Also something else that bothers me on the nose.
That something else is there on the palate too. This is a alcohol fruit bomb so if that is what you like, this will fit. It's a combination of dark blackberry and sweet red cherry. It's laced with vanilla. There is no trace of Syrah or anything else in this blend I can clearly identify. There is some grain and structure in the mouthfeel, thank God. Decent acidity and high alcholol deliver some structure. Without it we'd be talking pure grape Juice.
Balance is a judgement call based on what the winemaker was going for and what you like. Frankly I think it achieves what it set out to regardless of the fact this doesn't work for me at all. Finish is ok. Not long but holds together.
This one is one of those that is just hard to score. I don't like it. I expect to pour this one down the drain and open something else. This is just too much fruit and too much alcohol. Not a pleasant experience. I don't think it will cellar well. High alcohol usually doesn't but given the fruit, it may. I tend to think the fruit will go flat and the alcohol will turn to vinegar and it will be a true loser on aging. Could be wrong and I did not check to see if there is a track record.
So to score this, I almost have to consider there could be two scores. One based on wine styles I like and one based on this style and what the winemaker was trying to do and the audience he/she was trying to court. I think that second score would probably fit in the range of some of the other people who averaged this thing to be a 90. I can't get myself to that. However, my personal score, predicated by the fact that this is not my style is quire different:
7/5/5/5/5 - 27/77
I will revisit it in a couple hours and see if it improves and unpacks.
So it does get a bit better with some aeration but I am still not a fan.
7/5/5/6/6 - 29/79
Just looked this wine up. It is a blend. 76% Zinfandel, 13% Carignane, 5% Petite Sirah, 4% Mataro, and 2% Alicante Bouschet. That's a lot going on. This blend is somewhat schizophrenic. I get it. Winemakers blend from all over the world at times and when it works your a genius. When it doesn't? Well the wine has no soul. The Mataro (Mouvedre) is what is giving the gamy notes to this wine. Classic blend grape in Southern Rhone. Carignan has a big history and while originating in Spain was a big contributor to central valley CA Jug wine. Alicante originated in France and had a big role in CA during prohibition. None of these blend grape in my mind marry well to the Zin. I can't imagine the strategy the winemaker was going for in taste profile. Lots of other bottles I would pay 16 dollars for first. (1418 views) | | | Tasted by wtianseter on 5/20/2017 & rated 90 points: I broke my rule of cellaring at least 3 weeks after receiving a bottle to allow it to settle down but it did well. Fruity and briary, big and alcoholic - everything blends well together. the finish was quite tight and long. Aerate or decant this one to get it to open up a bit! Structure, acid , and alcohol are right - this one should cellar well. (798 views) | | | Tasted by Pedroel on 4/1/2017 & rated 90 points: A bit tight at first, but opened up after a couple of hours. Think it will improve with time. Not a jammy style, rather good acidity. Nice. (855 views) | | | Tasted by schlotz on 12/26/2016 & rated 87 points: I've had this before and liked it. This time around not certain it's worth buying much of. Dark full body and flavor was fine. Bit acidic but acceptable. IMO not worthy of a case buy. (667 views) | | | Tasted by texaswinelover on 9/5/2016 & rated 88 points: Mid to dark red, reddish fruit profile with touch darker components. Heat noticeable. Could use complexity but nice milk chocolate note upon opening. Not my favorite style anymore but would certainly have no issue serving at party and pleasing a crowd. (783 views) | | | Tasted by CappyD on 8/15/2016 & rated 88 points: Old vine Z. Med. red, nice fruity tang up front, soft. Definitely worth retry. (490 views) | | | Tasted by jviz on 8/7/2016 & rated 92 points: Fantastic wine. 3 for 3 bottles. Top notch QPR. pushing 93 pts. Great fruit, concentration, tannic backbone. Party favorite (820 views) | | | Tasted by jviz on 7/14/2016 & rated 92 points: Oh snap. Now this is a wine with QPR. Deep blackberry and concentrated plum with an earthy underpinning. A little heat throughout, but lingering finish and fantastic depth and extraction. Case buy (831 views) | | | Tasted by Mrs. Q on 5/21/2016: This wine comes from vine about 100 years old. No typical sin chocolate notes but more dark & fruity. Has 15.4% abv & was so strong I could feel it on my eyes as I smelled & swirled. Yum! (876 views) | | | Tasted by NapaTom on 3/1/2016 & rated 91 points: excellent zin. not as peppery/brambly as the 2011 and 2012, but a really nice more pure fruit zin. The 11 and 12 were perfect for BBQ sauces etc, but this is a very nice versatile food wine, and is a pretty nice sipper. (872 views) | | | Tasted by bestdamncab on 2/25/2016 & rated 89 points: 2016 ZAP Trade Tasting, nose of vanilla/oak, rich, black fruit, aromatic, more of the same on the palate, needs time to overcome the vanilla/oak, medium/big body, well blended varietals help the complexity, tasty, long finish, at $22 an exciting Zinfandel to pair with everyday food. (814 views) | | | Tasted by Mike Kopanski on 11/11/2015 & rated 91 points: Still very young, the first thing you notice is big oak on the nose. Once it gets to the palate it does a surprising job of integrating the 15.4% alcohol, all that oak, and some serious upfront fruit. All the vines are at least 100 years old and dry farmed in sandy loam soil. They added 13% Carignane, 5% Petit Sirah, 4% Mataro and 2% Alicante Bouschette, all of which bring some remarkable complexity and wide array of deep fruit flavors to the already potent 76% Zinfandel. At this time the oak is almost too much from a creamy vanilla point of view, but it is surprising how not heavy and light on it's feet a wine this big feels. (896 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| Three Wine Company Producer websiteZinfandel ZAP: Zinfandel Advocates & Producers | Varietal character (Appellation America) | Wikipedia-ZinfandelOld Vines Old Vine/Vieilles Vignes (Wikipedia)USAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.California2021 vintage: "Unlike almost all other areas of the state, the Russian River Valley had higher than normal crops in 2021, which has made for a wine of greater generosity and fruit forwardness than some of its stablemates." - Morgan Twain-Peterson |
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