4/28/2024 - Rieslingfan wrote:

Digging deep in my dad’s cellar, I came upon this blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot. I brought it home, hoping that it would still be alive, and caught it just in time. Still a bit of fruit sweetness, but mostly tertiary, it showed cedar, leather, and an old book note to be a library wine in the best sense. Excellent balance (I looked in vain for the ABV on the front or back label), with just a hint of tannin on the finish, the few people who still have a bottle would be well served to open them soon.

3/31/2024 - PolarBear22 wrote:

Wow! Sometimes poor organization pays off. This is older than I would have allowed. Great aromas still exist. Dark fruits. There was a lot of sediment when filtering and decanting. Tannins are smooth. Still great blueberry and dark cherry on the palate. Nice medium finish. I hope some of my other misplaced bottles did as well.

8/4/1991 - bestdamncab Likes this wine:

Great fruit on the nose, rich, young, creamy cabernet, great acid, great fruit, very long finish.

8/4/1991 - bestdamncab Likes this wine:

Little sharp and closed on the nose, medium fruit in the mouth, good acid, slightly tired fruit, medium/long finish, on the acid side, lacks fruit.

8/4/1991 - bestdamncab Likes this wine:

Nice, fruity, merlot nose, good fruit in the mouth, too much acid, and too much wood.

8/4/1991 - bestdamncab Likes this wine:

Rich, inky, concentrated, fruit forward, well balanced, nice, long finish. $10.99

8/4/1991 - bestdamncab Likes this wine:

Lovely, rich, Zinfandel nose, creamy, rich fruit, elegant mouth feel, good acid, good balance on finish, at peak. $8.99 retail.

8/4/1991 - bestdamncab Likes this wine:

$5.89 a bottle. Rich, fresh, simple Zinfandel blend.

8/4/1991 - bestdamncab Likes this wine:

Creamy, rich, fruity Zinfandel, nice, long finish with acid, young, needs 2 years to peak.

8/4/1991 - bestdamncab Likes this wine:

Nice, fruity nose, lots of fruit and flavor on the nose, mouth, and finish, simple.

2/28/2024 - Yopinot Likes this wine:

Great wine. Sorry to see it go. Tastes of berries and dark chocolate.

2/28/2024 - barrytaylor wrote:

over the hill, one more hpe it is better

2/15/2024 - callmeacab22 Likes this wine:

Not quite as big and powerful as hoped for, but still a nice Zin. Maybe getting close to end of life?

10/23/1993 - bestdamncab Likes this wine:

Rosenblum Zinfandel (Hi-Time Wine Cellars, Costa Mesa, Ca.): Big, rich, concentrated, intense, tasty, big, rich fruit, medium soft tannins on the long, long finish, needs 5 years.

10/23/1993 - bestdamncab Likes this wine:

Rosenblum Zinfandel (Hi-Time Wine Cellars, Costa Mesa, Ca.): Very rich, simple, forward, medium tannins, good acid, stemy taste and finish, briary not green stems.

10/23/1993 - bestdamncab Likes this wine:

Rosenblum Zinfandel (Hi-Time Wine Cellars, Costa Mesa, Ca.): Nice, rich, fruity tasty, sweet fruit, long, long finish, gorgeous finish, good acid, good soft tannins.

10/23/1993 - bestdamncab Likes this wine:

Rosenblum Zinfandel (Hi-Time Wine Cellars, Costa Mesa, Ca.): Slightly dusty nose, rich, open, fruity taste, good acid, long finish.

10/23/1993 - bestdamncab Likes this wine:

Rosenblum Zinfandel (Hi-Time Wine Cellars, Costa Mesa, Ca.): Rich fruity taste, and nose, long finish, medium soft tannins, good structure and black berry.

10/23/1993 - bestdamncab Likes this wine:

Rosenblum Zinfandel (Hi-Time Wine Cellars, Costa Mesa, Ca.): Rich, open, forward, simple, cherry, fruity nose, same in the mouth.

1/22/2024 - thalver wrote:

This is no where near the end of its road, and still has years ahead. This was smoother than a bottle a decade ago, though that one may have had more energy. Still fairly monolithic as the variety tends to be. For my tastes, better than when young, but slightly behind a bottle a decade ago.

1/20/2024 - wormfarmer Likes this wine:

these wines are in beautiful shape.

1/16/2024 - wormfarmer Likes this wine:

This is still in fine fettle. Deep, soulful, integrated, not falling apart at all despite its 15+ ABV. Went so well with "Japanese" (Bachan's sauce + ume-shiso furikake rub) pulled pork lavash "tacos" the wizardry almost seemed intentional. I have five or six more of these and while I'm not trying to make them go another quarter century I'm also not worried about them in the slightest, based on this run.

1/5/2024 - RnRT Likes this wine:

Much better than expected. Bright yellow color looked more like a butter chardonnay but the flavor was all sauvignon blanc.

12/30/2023 - djs wrote:

OTH

11/21/2013 - lovanc@outlook.com wrote:

Big bold wine but not jammy. Needs a hunk of red meat or a crackling fire.

6/1/2023 - forceberry wrote:

A blend of Zinfandel (78%) and Carignan (22%) from the 7-hectare (17-acre) Harris Kratka Vineyard located at the southern end of Alexander Valley. 14,1% alcohol.

Relatively pale, evolved and very slightly hazy brick-red color with a deep brick-orange hue towards the rim. The nose feels characterful, somewhat phenolic and a bit funky with nuanced, slightly rustic aromas of bretty leather, some ripe strawberry, light sweeter notes of wizened raspberries, a little bit of leafy greenness and autumnal nuances of damp leaves and sous-bois, a hint of crunchy lingonberry and a touch of dark, plummy fruit. The overall feel is pretty old-school, coming across as more like a traditional Bordeaux or Napa Cab rather than a Zin. The wine feels evolved, fine-tuned and a bit funky on the palate with a medium body and somewhat savory flavors of ripe cranberries and phenolic spice, some barnyardy notes of brett, a little bit of leather saddle, light brambly notes of raspberries and blackberries, an autumnal hint of damp leaves and a sweeter touch of wizened black cherries. The high alcohol lends some heat to the palate, but otherwise the wine is relatively focused and sinewy, its high acidity and moderately grippy medium-plus tannins making the overall feel pretty structured. The finish is juicy, savory and quite grippy with a long, complex aftertaste of old leather and barnyard, some autumnal notes of damp leaves and forest floor, a little bit of ripe red plum, light smoky notes of phenolic spice, a hint of crunchy cranberry and a touch of brambly blackberry. The rather high alcohol makes the wine end on a slightly warm note.

An excellent, impressively structured and enjoyably a bit funky Zin that is a textbook example of proper old-school California style of red wine, before virtually all the wines became rich, soft, sweetly-fruited oak bombs. This wine is definitely from California with its noticeable ripeness, relatively high alcohol and bold fruit, yet it is wonderfully old-school with its emphasis on fresh acidity, quite firm tannins and not-that-big body. Furthermore, that small touch of bretty funk only adds to the character and complexity of the wine, without overwhelming any of its finer nuances. I'd say this wine is now at its peak or very near it and it won't really benefit from any further cellaring, but most likely it won't be falling apart in the near future. At just 31€ this has been a steal.

6/1/2023 - forceberry wrote:

A blend of Zinfandel (75%) and Carignan (25%) from the 7-hectare (17-acre) Harris Kratka Vineyard located at the southern end of Alexander Valley. 15% alcohol.

Moderately translucent and somewhat evolved ruby-red color with a brick-red hue. The brooding nose feels somewhat restrained with dark-toned, slightly sweetish aromas of blueberries and boysenberries, some wizened cherry tones, light green-toned nuances of eucalyptus and bay leaf, a little bit of earthy spices, a hint of brambly blackberry and a touch of plum liqueur. The wine feels dense, concentrated and pretty muscular on the palate with a full body and moderately evolved flavors of dark forest fruits and ripe dark plums, some blueberry tones, a little bit of savory oak spice, light cooling nuances of eucalyptus, a developed hint of meat stew with Mediterranean herbs and a touch of earth. The wine is quite high in acidity with still relatively grippy and stern tannins. The high alcohol lends a little bit of warmth to the palate. The finish is long, somewhat evolved and quite tannic with a focused yet not particularly intense aftertaste of sweet dark plums and ripe bilberries, some wild strawberries, light woody notes of savory oak spice, a little bit of eucalyptus, a hint of red licorice and a touch of brambly black raspberry.

A fine, nuanced and tasty Zinfandel that shows some age, yet doesn't come across as too old in any way. Especially structurally the wine feels very impressive, feeling more similar to an old-school Bordeaux rather than any modern peer made from Zinfandel - I guess that might have to do with that rather hefty 1/4 addition of Carignan in the blend. Nevertheless, the wine is otherwise quite archetypal Zinfandel with its ripe, sweet-toned fruit flavors, brambly overtones and high alcohol. The wine is holding up really well for its age; I'd say it is either at its plateau of maturity, or even still on its way up. I wouldn't be surprised if this wine continued to evolve and improve for a handful of years more. Terrific stuff and excellent value at 31€.

6/1/2023 - forceberry wrote:

A blend of Zinfandel (78%) and Carignan (22%) from the 7-hectare (17-acre) Harris Kratka Vineyard located at the southern end of Alexander Valley. 14,8% alcohol.

Quite deep, dark and only slightly translucent black cherry color with a subtly evolved dried-blood hue towards the rim. The nose feels dull, somewhat dusty and a bit unclean with understated, vaguely musty aromas of damp moss, dry and dusty attic and a little bit of decomposing wood. The wine feels silky, ripe and sweet-toned on the palate with a full body and remarkably understated flavors of ripe, sweet dark berries, some earthy tones and a little bit of dusty attic. The alcohol shows quite a bit due to the lack of flavors, making the mouthfeel quite hot. The wine is medium in acidity with moderately grippy medium-plus tannins. The finish is short, quite grippy and rather dull with flavors of dusty earth and some damp moss.

As the wine felt dull and somewhat unclean, lacking all the fruit flavors, we felt that the wine was just very mildly corked. It didn't exhibit any obvious TCA aromas, but the wine was so dull, understated and so very unlike any other bottle of Rosenblum we tasted that we agreed it wasn't in proper condition. 31€ down the drain.

6/1/2023 - forceberry wrote:

A blend of Zinfandel (75%) and Carignan (25%) from the 7-hectare (17-acre) Harris Kratka Vineyard located at the southern end of Alexander Valley. 13,6% alcohol.

Deep, moderately evolved and somewhat translucent brick-red color. The open and quite attractive yet not particularly intense nose exudes aromas of strawberries and wizened red plums, some earthy tones, a little bit of savory old oak and tree bark, light cherry tones, a hint of cranberry juice, a touch of gamey meat and a dank whiff of pot. The wine feels ripe, rich and quite firm on the palate with a full body and vibrant, somewhat evolved flavors of wizened cherries, some juicy dark and blueberry juice tones, a little bit of ripe cranberry and strawberry, light meaty notes of umami, a hint of allspice and a faint green-toned touch of minty lift. The moderately high acidity and still pretty firm and grippy tannins lend good sense of structure to the wine. The finish is rich, juicy and quite grippy with an intense, slightly sweet-toned aftertaste of strawberries and red cherries, some sweet cassis tones, a little bit of allspice and peppery character, light plummy nuances, a toasty hint of sweet oak spice and a touch of fresh bilberry.

A very impressive, vibrant and still remarkably structured Zin - although the relatively large dose of Carignan probably aids quite a bit in the cassis tones (not particularly present in other vintages of Rosenblum Harris Kratka) and letting the wine that still quite impressive structure. In a tasting of six Harris Kratka vintages (2001-1994), this was easily among the most impressive vintages, only surpassed by the similarly structure-driven but even more vibrant 2001 vintage and the characterful, subtly funky 1994. Although similarly evolved, this wine did lack that sense of intensity and concentration to some degree - especially in the nose. Yet still, this was a very lovely and wonderfully serious effort for a +20 Zinfandel. The wine might continue to evolve and improve for some years, but it is in a really good spot right now and doesn't really require any additional aging. At 32,50€, this is an excellent purchase.

6/1/2023 - forceberry wrote:

A blend of Zinfandel (95%) and Carignan (5%) from the 7-hectare (17-acre) Harris Kratka Vineyard located at the southern end of Alexander Valley. 14% alcohol.

Evolved, medium-deep and somewhat translucent brick-red color with an aged rusty-red hue. The nose feels evolved and somewhat understated with quite light yet nuanced aromas of savory meaty tones and even prosciutto, some medicinal aromas of herbal liqueur, a little bit of wizened boysenberries, light strawberry nuances, faint green-toned hints of pine needles and bay leaf and a touch of fivespice. The wine feels silky, evolved and juicy on the palate with a moderately full body and somewhat tertiary flavors of boysenberries and wizened black cherries, some oxidative notes of beef jerky, light balsamic nuances of VA, a little bit of ripe strawberries and raspberries, a medicinal hint of herbal liqueuer and a woody touch of cedar. The wine is quite high in acidity with rather resolved and quite supple tannins. The finish is savory, gently grippy and quite complex with a long, rather evolved aftertaste of gamey meat and ripe boysenberry, some woody notes of cedar and pencil shavings, a little bit of earth, light sweet nuances of strawberries and wizened cherries, a slightly bitter medicinal hint of herbal liqueur and a touch of balsamic VA.

A tasty, sophisticated and pretty much fully mature Cali Zin that is showing somewhat meaty notes of tertiary flavors and good sense of harmony. Compared to some other vintages of this Harris Kratka bottling, this feels a bit softer and sweeter in nature, but not excessively so; the wine still retains great sense of balance and structure. Based on the quite resolved structure and subtly oxidative undertones lurking beneath the evolved fruit, I'd say the wine is now at its peak and probably has been there for some while. Although it didn't feel the wine is going to fall apart anytime soon, it isn't going to evolve anywhere from here, so I'd say it's better to drink the wine sooner rather than later. Good value at 32,50€.

6/1/2023 - forceberry wrote:

A blend of Zinfandel (95%), Carignan (3%) and Petite Sirah (2%) from the 7-hectare (17-acre) Harris Kratka Vineyard located at the southern end of Alexander Valley. 15% alcohol.

Quite deep and moderately evolved dark maroon color. The attractive, dark-toned nose feels somewhat brooding with complex, sweetly-fruited aromas of almost jammy dark berries, some cool herbal notes of minty lift, a little bit of juicy black cherry, light evolved notes of meaty character, a hint of wizened blackcurrants and a touch of dried figs. The wine feels quite bold, vibrant and concentrated on the palate with a full body and intense flavors of ripe black cherries and boysenberries, some spicy peppery tones, a little bit of evolved gamey character, light meaty notes of umami, a cool hint of minty lift and a touch of dried figs. I'd like to disagree with the notes on CT that describe the wine as low n acidity, as in our tasting of Rosenblum Zins, it became apparent that the wine is not only surprisingly high in acidity for a Zinfandel, but also quite high in acidity for a Californian red wine. The rather assertive and grippy tannins - along with the high acidity - make the wine feel pretty firm and structured. The finish is ripe, very long and quite grippy with an intense, ripe aftertaste of cherry marmalade, some juicy blackberry and boysenberry tones, a little bit of licorice, light minty nuances, a hint of vanilla oak and a sweet touch of dried figs and blackcurrants. The high alcohol makes the wine end on a slightly warm note.

In our tasting of 13 Rosenblum Cellars Zinfandels it was not only painfully obvious that Harris Kratka Vineyard bottlings were - on average - better than the other single-vineyard bottlings we tasted (Rust Ridge, Carla's Vineyard), but also that this 2001 Harris Kratka Vineyard was probably the best vintage of the vintages we tasted (2001-1994). True to the style of Cali Zin, the wine is juicy, ripe and sweet-toned, but at the same time the wine showed more complexity, intensity and sense of structure than any other wine. Really an excellent effort that is slowly arriving at its plateau of maturity. This is now in an excellent spot. At 32,50€ this has been a bargain.

6/1/2023 - forceberry wrote:

A Zinfandel from a vineyard with vines up to 102 years old. Unlike younger vintages of Carla's Vineyard, bottled as AVA San Francisco Bay, this was bottled as AVA Contra Costa County. 14% alcohol.

Moderately evolved brick-red color. Dull, dusty and musty nose with aromas of mildew and earth cellar. This reeks so badly of TCA I'm not even entertaining a thought of tasting the wine to check out how its structure is holding up.

A badly corked bottle. 28,50€ down the drain.

6/1/2023 - forceberry wrote:

A Zinfandel from a vineyard with vines up to 103 years old. 14% alcohol.

Somewhat evolved and moderately translucent brick-red color. The nose feels evolved and savory with aromas of wizened dark plums, some meaty tones, a little bit of strawberry, light earthy notes, a hint of old leather, a touch of tobacco and a whiff of old dusty wood. The wine feels quite resolved, harmonious and silky on the palate with a medium body and ripe, sweet-toned flavors of dried dark plums, some evolved meaty notes of umami, light oaky notes of savory wood and vanilla, a little bit of cassis, sweet hints of wizened figs and cherries and a volatile touch of nail polish. Although quite ripe and sweetly-fruited, the wine still manages to retain pretty lovely sense of structure with its quite high acidity and moderately grippy medium-plus tannins. The finish is savory, ripe and moderately grippy with a slightly sweet-toned and rather evolved aftertaste of wizened figs and dried dates, some brambly notes of blackberries and black raspberries, a little bit of peppery spice, light woody notes of savory oak spice, a hint of vanilla and a touch of nail polish VA.

A rather nice vintage of Carla's Vineyard - a bottling typically slightly softer and sweeter than the average Rosenblum Zin. This did show that ripeness and sweetness of fruit that seems typical of Carla's Vineyard, but the wine retained much better acidity and tannic structure than some of the younger vintages we tasted at the same time. This wasn't as good as the 1999 vintage, which felt a bit more drier and structure-driven, but not that far behind, either. Overall I'd say the wine is now at its peak and while it might not improve from here, I still feel this wine is going to keep just fine far a good number of years more. Solid value at 28,50€.

6/1/2023 - forceberry wrote:

A Zinfandel from a vineyard with vines up to 104 years old. 14% alcohol.

Luminous, somewhat translucent and still relatively youthful black cherry color. The nose feels sweetish, expressive and relatively youthful with aromas of strawberries, bilberries and ripe black raspberries, some woody notes of cedar, a little bit of gamey meat, light oxidative nuances of sweet soy sauce, a hint of Bassett's black wine gum, a touch of boysenberry jam and a whiff of vanilla. The wine feels ripe, juicy and quite chewy on the palate with a full body and moderately intense flavors of sweet black cherries and ripe black raspberries, some gamey tones, a little bit of savory spice, light crunchy notes of fresh red plums, cedary hints of woody oak and an evolved touch of dried dark fruits. Unlike most other vintages of Carla's Vineyard, this particular vintage feels quite firm and structured with its rather high acidity and fine-grained yet moderately grippy medium-plus tannins. The finish is ripe, long and moderately grippy with a savory and quite intense aftertaste of juicy red plums, some ripe black cherries, a little bit of gamey meat, light oaky notes of both cedar and sweeter toasty character, a hint of raspberry jam and a touch of earth.

Of the five vintages of Carla's Vineyard Zinfandels we tasted, this was easily my favorite. It seems that on average, Carla's Vineyard Zin is a softer, sweeter and slightly more oaky effort compared to the overall Rosenblum style. However, of the vintages we tasted, this 1999 was the driest, least oaky and most structured vintage, stylistically closer to the other Rosenblum Zinfandels than the other vintages of Carla's Vineyard. Compared to the bottle of this same vintage I tasted earlier (half a year ago), I found this bottle slightly more evolved, but also more harmonious and more enjoyable - as the previous bottle showed a subtle streak of sweet, buttery diacetyl character, which I'm not a fan of - making this a pretty terrific vintage of Carla's Vineyard. Although the wine is in a great spot right now, I can imagine it will continue to evolve for a handful of years more from here. Terrific value at 28,50€.

6/1/2023 - forceberry wrote:

Made with fruit sourced from a vineyard planted to two different clones of Zinfandel. 15% alcohol.

Quite deep, dark and moderately opaque blackish-red color with a somewhat evolved maroon hue. The nose feels a bit restrained yet not closed with nuanced, somewhat evolved aromas of dark plums and raisiny dark fruits, some sweet cherry tones, a little bit of peppered raw meat, light woody notes of cedar, a hint of blackberry liqueur, a toasty touch of sweet oak spice and a whiff of leather saddle. The wine feels ripe, concentrated yet still relatively open-knit on the palate with a full body and intense flavors of wizened black cherries and peppery spice, some leathery tones, a little bit of plum jam, light toasty notes of sweet oak spice, a balsamic hint of VA and a touch of gamey meat. The texture is supple and a bit soft, yet the wine is pretty firm and structured, thanks to the quite high acidity and still moderately grippy tannins. The finish is ripe, juicy and somewhat grippy with a long, intense aftertaste of ripe black cherries and brambly black raspberries, some spicy notes of savory wood, light leathery tones, a little bit of tobacco, a hint of kirsch and a rich, sweet-toned touch of volatile balsamico character.

This was my third time tasting this wine in a year. When tasting this for the first time, the wine was very impressive effort, but the previous taste was somewhat disappointing as the bottle was noticeably more evolved and somewhat oxidative in character with very supple, almost fully resolved tannins. Fortunately this wine was a return to form: although somewhat evolved, the wine didn't show any obvious oxidative qualities and the structure was as firm as ever. Maybe coming across as slightly more reticent than the first bottle I tasted in October 2022, but not much. Most likely the wine is either at its plateau of maturity or very close to it - I can imagine the wine can evolve a tiny bit from here, but most likely it will just keep for many years more. Drink now or within the next ten-ish years. Excellent value at 28,50€.

6/1/2023 - forceberry wrote:

A Zinfandel from a vineyard with vines up to 104 years old. 15% alcohol.

Evolved and somewhat translucent blood-red color. The nose feels quite ripe, moderately sweetish and somewhat evolved with fruit-driven aromas of wizened dark fruits, some creamy and slightly jelly-like diacetyl, a little bit of dried figs and raisins, light strawberry tones, a hint of black raspberry, a toasty touch of mocha chocolate and a whiff of cherry marmalade. The wine feels ripe, juicy and quite sweet-toned on the palate with a rather full body and quite intense flavors of wizened cherries, some strawberry tones, a little bit of woody oak spice, light toasty notes of sweet oak spice and milk chocolate, a hint of something vaguely metallic and a touch of brambly black raspberry. Although the wine is noticeably ripe and the alcohol shows through a bit, the wine still sports surprisingly high acidity, which lends good sense of balance and structure along with the somewhat grippy medium tannins. The finish is ripe, gently grippy and slightly warm with a long, juicy aftertaste of sweet black cherries and brambly black raspberries, some strawberry tones, a little bit of vanilla oak, light raisiny nuances and a toasty hint of milk chocolate.

These Carla's Vineyard Zinfandels seem a bit sweeter, oakier and more polished wines in comparison to the other Rosenblum Zins. More often than not I enjoy older Rosenblum Zins quite a lot, but these Carla's Vineyards seem always a bit too soft, sweet and oaky for my preference. Although the overall feel was pretty enjoyable here and especially the quite high acidity helped a lot, the wine was still far from perfect: the sweet, vaguely creamy and somewhat candied streak of diacetyl in the nose was so subtle that it didn't bother much, but that light streak of metallic flavor on the palate did distract me a bit more. Without these qualities this might've been better than the 2002 vintage we tasted at the same time, but this time we didn't luck out. I hope this was just bottle variation and not indicative of the vintage as a whole. Priced somewhat according to its quality at 28,50€.

6/1/2023 - forceberry wrote:

Made with fruit sourced from a vineyard planted to two different clones of Zinfandel. 14,5% alcohol.

Somewhat translucent and a bit evolved dark cherry red color with brick-red highlights. The nose feels sweet, fragrant and quite fruit-forward with aromas of strawberries and juicy black raspberries, some balsamic notes of VA, a little bit of dark plummy fruit, light toasty notes of sweet oak spice, a hint of black cherry and a touch of wizened fruits. The wine feels savory, moderately evolved and quite dense on the palate with a full body and quite intense flavors of wizened dark fruits and sweet black raspberry, some earthy notes, light woody notes of cedar and toasty oak spice, a little bit of dried figs, an oxidative hint of beef jerky and a touch of balsamic VA. The overall feel is enjoyably firm and balanced with the rather high acidity and medium-plus tannins. The finish is ripe, moderately evolved and somewhat grippy with an intense aftertaste of dried dark fruits, some woody notes of savory oak spice, a little bit of beef jerky or salt-cured beef, light sweeter nuances of ripe black raspberries, a hint of fresh black cherry and a touch of vanilla.

A fine, harmonious and pleasantly evolved Napa Zin. The oak still shows a little bit, but for the most part it has integrated with the fruit quite nicely. There's good sense of ripe Zin fruit here, but the wine never once feels too ripe: the alcohol remains in check, there's enough acidity to lend good sense of freshness and brightness to the fruit flavors and the somewhat grippy but not tough tannins lend vital sense of firmness to the mouthfeel. While not the best vintage of Rosenblum's Rust Ridge I've tasted, this is still a lovely wine in its own right and it is holding up really well for its age. It might not evolve that much from here, but I don't see the wine falling apart anytime soon, either. An excellent purchase at 28,50€.

6/1/2023 - forceberry wrote:

A Zinfandel from a vineyard with vines up to 105 years old. 14,5% alcohol.

Quite deep and somewhat evolved cherry-red color with a slightly tertiary maroon hue. The nose feels quite ripe, sweet-toned and a bit evolved with pretty sumptuous aromas of juicy dark forest fruits, some dried figs, a little bit of mocha and sweet toasty oak, light cherry tones, a raisiny hint of dried dark fruits and a woody touch of cedar. The wine feels rich, juicy and quite sweet-toned with flavors of wizened black cherries, some toasty notes of mocha oak and milk chocolate, light raisiny nuances, a hint of vanilla and a tertiary touch of sweet soy sauce. The overall feel is a bit on the soft side, due to the medium acidity and quite ripe, resolved and gentle tannins. The finish is long, sweet-toned and very gently grippy with a juicy, somewhat developed aftertaste of dried dark berries and toasty oak tones, some vanilla, a little bit of milk chocolate, light juicy notes of strawberries, a brambly hint of black raspberry and a tertiary touch of sweet soy sauce. The high alcohol makes the wine end on a slightly warm note.

A quite tasty and enjoyably evolved but ultimately a bit too soft and oaky Zinfandel. I was quite surprised by the style here, actually, since almost all these older Rosenblum Zinfandels I've tasted have been somewhat higher in acidity with noticeably less obvious oak influence. Unlike those wines, this particular wine felt a bit more banal in comparison, coming across as just a somewhat generic Zinfandel with nothing that would really catch my interest - although the wine is holding up pretty well for its age. All in all, this was an enjoyable little drop, but as far as these older Rosenblum Zins come, a bit of a disappointment, too. Yet still, I think this wine offers pretty good value for the money at just 28,50€.

12/17/2023 - ffjxc Does not like this wine:

Artificial yuck. If you want chocolate buy a candy bar. Although its like an alcoholic tootsie roll. I love Rosenblum especially when their tasting room was in Alameda. I have a 1000 bottle cellar & frankly when I found them I was sad that I didn't just use them as my cellar. Their zins were phenomenal. Now their tasting room is in Oak at Jack London Square & sorry can't be bothered even though I live in Oakland.

2/6/2016 - Mossrose wrote:

Served this Zin in a Zinfandel tasting as an exemplar of what is often called a Cab lover's Zin, meaning that it shows that Zinfandel can make fine wines judged on the identical criteria of wines from Bordeaux and California wines made from Bordeaux grapes. Darkly colored though a shade lighter than the released wine, deeply fruity primarily with blackberry and black currant, amply structured by bright acidity and drying tannin. Also helping it be more like Cab is having zero flavors of dried fruits like raisin, prune, and dates, and no separate sugar sweetness.

2/8/2018 - Mossrose wrote:

One of the best wines, tasted along side 15 other Zinfandels. Opaque black color with a thin ruby ring. Rich and brightly fruity blackberry, black currant, and black cherry. Shares the structure typical for Cabernet Sauvignon - vivid and juicy acidity and firm and drying tannin. Features pepper, dark chocolate, and raisin flavor without being sugar sweet. At 8 years old, abounds in tastes that only older ageworthy wines achieve - integrated, seamless, and caressing. Finishes long and delicious. Overall, outstanding for its pitch perfect clarity of flavors.

4/27/2018 - Mossrose wrote:

This 14 year old Syrah is opaque black to the edge. The nose has inviting aromas of blackberry, smoked bacon, and hint of leather, with nothing off flavored. The sip includes well structured acid and tannin plus dark dense fruit, with nothing tired. One positive change from when released is that some baby fat and sugar sweetness are gone. Much closer to a delicious southern Rhone syrah. Really good with diverse meats. As it did not deteriorate from being opened for days, no hurry to drink up any remaining bottles.

11/2/2016 - Mossrose wrote:

When first released, this wine was inky black, dense, lush, rich, and fruity. Now 14 years old, those parts all endure, but the wine is far softer and more integrated. Now the wine is completely resolved, and tastes low in both tannin and acidity, with just enough left to keep from being flabby or tired. Correspondingly, the fruit has shifted away from blackberry to boysenberry and mulberry, and the texture is mouth coating rather than cleansing. One flavor that has become more pervasive is smoked and roasted meat, and the wine is especially delicious with beef, pork, and barbecue.

8/13/2015 - Mossrose wrote:

A single vineyard Syrah from the rolling hills of Lodi, with good draining gravel soil, made famous for its wines by Rosenblum. Even 12 years old, so opaque in color that you cannot see light through a quarter inch pour in a glass. A very dense full-bodied wine with intensely concentrated fruits of briary blackberry and black raspberry. For so hot a climate that Lodi has, the acidity is amazingly bright, adding even some blueberry. Ample tannins help keep the wine from being flabby, but are dominated by the game winning, full house of massive, delicious, and complex fruit. Could be happily aged for another three to five years.

12/14/2023 - Wangenhome wrote:

OK- 12.2023

12/7/2023 - wabi47 wrote:

plum and berry; sweet (residual sugar?); tannins gone making this a bit soft for my taste, but others liked it

4/22/2023 - forceberry wrote:

14,5% alcohol. Tasted blind.

Dark, slightly evolved and somewhat translucent blackish-red color with a tertiary pomegranate hue. The nose feels quite expressive, moderately sweetish and somewhat evolved with aromas of wizened dark fruits, some cedary oak tones, a little bit of ripe figs along with a subtle raisiny character, light vanilla nuances, a volatile hint of nail polish remover, an odd green touch of grass or maybe dill and a whiff of ripe blackcurrant. The wine feels ripe, somewhat oaky and quite dense on the palate with a moderately full body and quite intense flavors of dark-toned toasty oak spice, some sweet notes of ripe figs and juicy blackcurrants, a little bit of vanilla, light cedary nuances of woody oak, a lifted hint of nail polish VA and a chocolatey touch of mocha oak. The wine is quite structured, thanks to the moderately high in acidity and ample yet ripe and quite supple tannins. The finish is juicy, moderately evolved and somewhat grippy with a long aftertaste of chocolatey mocha oak and cedar, some juicy notes of ripe figs, a little bit of vanilla, light sweet nuances of jammy blackcurrants, a lifted hint of sweet VA and a touch of earthy spices.

This must be the oakiest Rosenblum wine I've had thus far - even at +20 years of age the wine does come across as pretty toasty and polished, although some of that rich oak must've integrated with the rich Petite Sirah fruit, combining into those earthy and sweetly-spiced tertiary nuances. Although the wine is starting to show some age, it is still relatively youthful for a Petite Sirah over two decades old - it feels as though the wine is in no danger of falling apart anytime soon and most likely it will continue to evolve and hopefully integrate those woody notes further with the fruit over a number of years more. Despite the somewhat noticeable oak influence, I found the wine quite enjoyable - and also managed to identify it correctly as a Californian Petite Sirah after a few guesses. Priced according to its quality at 29€.

10/2/2023 - kuumies wrote:

Tasted blind. Very bright and glossy cassis fruit on the nose. Aged but with great fruit still. On the palate this has fantastic fruit but is all about the structure. Terrific balance and overall a very impressive showing.

9/3/2023 - wormfarmer Likes this wine:

Surprisingly good!

8/27/2023 - TG67 Likes this wine:

Opened this with two other older zins…what a revelation! Cork was still intact. Lots of fruit! Peppery, tannins almost gone but still a balanced mouth feel. Just a little port like, still a very fun wine.

Still good the second night. Great zins are age worthy.