Zin Purge and a Couple Random Whites

Somehow or another, a lot of bottles of Zinfandel have accumulated in the cellar. There's a number of them that I continue to look at and always pass by. Not because they're too good for the occasion at hand, but rather because I can't get excited about drinking them. Today's lineup included 3 such wines: 2004 Edmeades Mendicino, 2003 Ravenswood Old Hill, and a 2002 Martinelli Guiseppe & Luisa. The last was one I had no tolerance for tonight. Alcohol and little else. The Edmeades was ok, but for a couple of extra bucks I'll probably go a different direction next time (Rosenblum, Hartford as two candidates). The Ravenswood was a serviceable wine, but did nothing to stand out and declare itself a zinfindel. For that, I found it disappointing.

The only "star" in the lineup was the 2005 William Selyem Forchini, and even that wasn't a "wow" wine but rather "finally, one I feel like drinking".

Uninspiring to say the least.

• 2002 Martinelli Zinfandel Giuseppe & Luisa

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

  A butt-kicker with really high alcohol presence. I feel like I'm drinking booze rather than wine. Spicy on the nose, boozy fruit on the palate. It only gets worse the longer its open. More alcohol, less fruit. I had some top shelf rum last weekend that was smoother than this. Undrinkable and down the drain.

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• 2004 Edmeades Winery Zinfandel Mendocino County

  USA, California, North Coast, Mendocino County

  Pop/pour - 85 points. Too hot on the palate as this does not hide its alcohol well. Aside from that, it has a nice rich flavor profile that is unfortunately masked by the booze. I'll check back later, maybe this will smooth out with some air. Update: I forgot about this for 2 days. Much better on the third day open. Smoothed out, alcohol hardly noticeable, long sweet finish. Probably 88-90 points. Assuming most people don't wait 2-3 days to drink this, a long decant would be in order.

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• 2003 Ravenswood Zinfandel Old Hill 87 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley

  Brambles, menthol and minerality on the nose. Medium bodied on the palate with some acidity. Finish is medium length, with some tannins that are slightly astringent. Definitely refined in style. Poor, no....VERY poor QPR.

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• 2005 Williams Selyem Zinfandel Forchini Vineyard 91 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

  Red berrys and some briar on the nose. The palate is very finesse compared to the other zins opened. Extremely well-balanced with some acidity and hints of tannins on the finish. The thing that makes this the top zin for me tonight is that while balance and elegant, there is still a depth of fruit that is surprising given a mid-weight mouthfeel. Easily the best bottle opened.

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Who would have thought, on a night I was in the mood for a nice zin, that these two wines would be amongst the favorites.

• 2005 Cantina Terlan Müller-Thurgau 89 Points

  Italy, Trentino-Alto Adige, Alto Adige, Alto Adige - Südtirol

  Like a hypothetical blend of Sauv Blanc with a dollop of Riesling. A bit of grassiness on the nose. On the palate, this is held in check with a hint of sweetness and resin. Later, in comparison to the 2008 Foxglove Chard, this also shows some noticeable minerality. A "precise" wine...not flabby. Very enjoyable

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• 2008 Foxglove Chardonnay Central Coast 89 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast

  Wildly tropical on the nose. If I close my eyes, I could be in St. John (I wish!). I can't remember the last time I've had a chardonnay that made such a distinct tropical impression. There's more body on the palate than I expected. I enjoy this wine a lot, though a bit of shortness in the finish keeps my score down. I enjoy the "no malo", and appreciate the "no oak". But I have to wonder how good this juice could be with just a touch of crisp, toasty oak. I'm sure it would bump the price up, but it's be really cool to see a lightly oaked version to compare side-by-side to this, and that hypothetical wine would likely be one of my all time favorites. I'll have to research the Varner line, which is new to me, to see if such a thing already exists. An outstanding QPR as it is, about $11.50 per bottle by the case. An outstanding choice as a house wine.

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Every once in awhile, some ruthless culling needs to take place. I could probably go back to the cellar and find more, but the guy who collects the recyclables would start to wonder!