7 Deadly Zins…well, 8

I have wanted to do a Zinfandel tasting for absolutely ages for Dario because he'd been so helpful to me making my first wine. I finally managed to pin him down to a date and he and a couple of the wine ark boys (Ben and Wayne) came round to do a very informal Zinfandel tasting. I did a selection of snags (Kingsley's in Rose Bay and Rodrigues knocked the fancied Victor Churchill sausages into a cocked hat) and tato salad and everyone else chipped in with dips and desserts...

• 2012 Kalleske Zinfandel Fordson

  Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley

  Medium plus intensity aromas of plums tending to prune over black cherry, vanilla, cream and slight butter. In the mouth the wine is thick bodied with a touch of residual sugar, spice, black cherry and slight prune hints. Quite round textured on the plate with very slight herbaceous notes along with very slight alcoholic warmth on the finish. All in all a nicely balanced wine with plenty of intensity of flavour, complexity of fruit and oak and reasonably long for its price point. I think I'd go here again.

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• 2011 Cape Mentelle Zinfandel

  Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Margaret River

  Red berry and plum with cherry notes, herbaceousness (eucalyptus?) spice and cream. In the mouth the wine has juicy acidity; almost zesty in fact, then muted red fruit - slightly unripe - followed by front of mouth and tongue coating tannins. Finishes a little short. Quite disappointing based on my previous tastings of other vintages

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• 2008 Piggs Peake Zinfandel Wolfie

  Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley, Pokolbin

  Medium plus intensity aromas of prunes, plums, sweet spice, slight leather, slight green notes and, with time, black cherries and cream with some chocolate notes. In the mouth the wine is juicy but with sweet fruit, alcohol warmth marries with the spice and there is even a very slight sourness on the back palate. Fine mouth coating tannins are here as well. Massively long. Huge fun. happily go here again.

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• 2007 Ridge Geyserville

  USA, California, Sonoma County

  Red plums and red currant, herbaceous green notes - almost stalky - slight leather notes. Smells 'sour'. Spicy with slight spirituous notes. In the mouth the wine has flavours of red plums and red currant, chalky tannin, spice joins on the long finish. Hmm

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• 2006 Ridge Lytton Springs

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley

  Pronounced intensity aromas of Plums, cherries, berries…a cornucopia or ripe fruit, even after 8 years - underpinned by spice, meaty notes - charcuterie, slight leather, cedar and vanilla. In the mouth the wine is juicy and plummy with red berry flavours, spice, very fine tannins that persist and lend weight to the fruit all of which carry on a very long finish. glorious.

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• 2009 Murphy-Goode Zinfandel Liar's Dice

  USA, California, Sonoma County

  Plums, slight metallic notes, cream, vanilla, slight spice, very very slight herbaceous notes and touches of cedar. On the plate the wine is a little light bodied compared with the other Zins here juicy with sour plums and slight chocolate hints, tangy. there are talc like tannins that carry with the fruit on a medium plus length. Hmm

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• 2007 Ridge Lytton Springs

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley

  Ripe plum tending to prune and umeboshi, slight unripe notes. Spice, leather. On the palate the wine is juicy and spicy with plum and prune flavours and talc like tannin. Now, it's not flawed but I've never tasted one of these that has tasted like this. Perhaps slightly out of condition? not sure. Perhaps a little baked? Hmm.

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Winners were the Kalleske, the Piggs Peake and, unsurprisingly, the 06 Lytton Springs. What was surprising was the 07 Lytton which was a little out of condition - the first time I've ever experienced that with this producer which (based on purported global cork issues of 1 in 12 or about 8% plus other inherent wine-making challenges) is a pretty good result considering I've got through over 30 bottles of this wine over the last few years...