DC Zin Offline

A bunch of us gathered at the home of Aaron Nix-Gomez and Jenn Keeney. In attendance were Dave Ehrlich, Ali Ehrlich, Shane Verburg, Denise Verbrug, William Wetmore, Dave Wetmore, Deniz Wetmore, Jace Glowa, Liz Glowa, Todd Laubach, and David Fischer. We tasted through 16 different Zinfandels. Overall the wines were hit or miss, and many solicited very different reactions from different tasters. The top three vote getters were:

1. 2005 Michael David Lust
2. 2005 Four Vines Maverick Zinfandel (my favorite and a great QPR)
3. 2005 Carlisle Tom Feeney Ranch.

• 1993 Ravenswood Zinfandel Monte Rosso Vineyard

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley

  Mild bricking at the rim. Fruit has faded quite a bit but some dried cherries are detectable on the nose. But this is a little thin on the palate and finish is short. Past its peak. Received 2 votes.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1994 Hartford / Hartford Court Zinfandel Hartford Vineyard

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

  Dark purple color.More fruit on the nose than the Ravenswood. Some noticeable heat, but it was not overpowering. Nice full, big, rich mouthfeel and a long finish. This is a nice wine, that held up better than the other older zins. My favorite of the old zin flight. 4 votes.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1995 Dry Creek Vineyard Old Vine Zinfandel

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley

  Pruney and raisiny. This was thing and slightly falling apart with a little air. This one was definitely past its prime. 1 vote

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2004 Hartford / Hartford Court Zinfandel Russian River Valley

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

  Wow..what a change of pace after the flight of old zins. Big, bold nose of plums, spice and pepper. This was a very big wine. Many tasters noted that this was "over the top" and fell apart when revisited later in the tasting, and there was a suspicion that it was slightly corked. A few tasters suspected this was the Turley as this was a very big wine.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2003 Hartford / Hartford Court Zinfandel Fanucchi Wood Road Vineyard

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

  This was a little closed at first but quickly opened up. nice bold fruit that was not too much. Firm tannins and structure really helped bring this together. This should improve with more time in the cellar. More than one taster noted that it improved with airtime. 8 votes.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2005 Carlisle Zinfandel Tom Feeney Ranch

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

  Finally hit a wine in the tasting that I really liked. A refreshing change. More elegant with nice acidity and tannis. A nice nose of dark cherries. Great structure underneath a nice core of fruit. Excellent! 10 votes - 3rd place.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2004 Rosenblum Cellars Petite Sirah Heritage Clones

  USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Contra Costa County

  Almose everyone identified this as the ringer of the tasting. A big brute of a wine there was nothing shy about this monster. No votes.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2001 Schrader Cellars Zinfandel Vieux-Os Ira Carter

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Lots of good fruit and acidity. One taster noted that this was "majestic" but it regarded as a good, but not great zin by most. 3 votes

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2005 Four Vines Zinfandel Maverick

  USA, California, Sierra Foothills, Amador County

  Awesome nose of white pepper and plums. Beautiful mouthfeel on the palate. Acidity gave it some nice lift and made it light ono its feet. Excellent wine. My WOTN and 2nd place with 21 votes.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2005 Oak Ridge Winery Zinfandel Moss Roxx Ancient Vine Flawed

  USA, California, Central Valley, Lodi

  This wine definitely has issues with VA -- in a big way. The nose reaks of nail polish. Tasted sweet and raisiny. Absolutely awful. Some tasters did like it though somehow. 7 votes.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2005 Michael-David Vineyards Zinfandel Earthquake Flawed

  USA, California, Central Valley, Lodi

  Corked.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2005 Michael-David Vineyards Zinfandel Lust

  USA, California, Central Valley, Lodi

  I and some other tasters found the amount of new oak in this wine to be off putting, but many really liked it. I thought there was some really nice fruit underneath but the oak was too much. Strong hint of vanilla on the nose. Nice full, rich mouthfeel, and long finish. A very polarizing wine, some tastered remarked it was "horrible" while others thought it was terrific. Group #1 with 22 votes.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2003 Carol Shelton Wines Zinfandel Rockpile Vineyard Sonoma County

  USA, California, Sonoma County

  Much lighter in style, some taster detected underripe fruit and some green notes. Nice acidity, but not enough body and fruit to go along with it and the finish was very short.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2000 Carlisle Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley Flawed

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley

  High levels of VA. Flawed.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2003 Turley Zinfandel Old Vines

  USA, California

  Some nice red jammy fruit with notes of pepper on the nose. Lighter in color, most tasters thought that this was a good, but not exceptional zin. Someone remarked that this tasted like a "cheap and cheeful" crowd pleaser, and once it was revealed everyone was pretty suprised. Many tasters thought the 2004 Hartforrd RRV was the Turley, but no one guess this wine was Turley.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

We also tasted through a bunch of other wines before and after the tasting. Some of the other wines tasted were 2005 Arcadian Sleepy Hollow Chard, 2006 Peay Viognier, 2005 Sonoma Coast Vineyards Chard, 2004 Las Rocas VV, 2005 Selbach Oster, among many others.

Thanks again to Aaron and Jenn for hosting this event.