Zin is a guilty pleasure of mine, I just love them, and feel I can never have enough bottles of them (you never know when a BBQ is going to break out and you'll need a bottle) ... this Ravenswood was the cat's meow. Nose of plum and black cherry and a palate that just kept giving different taste experiences with each sip: plum, black cherry, mocha, spiced-vanilla, sounds like it could be one of those thick, syrupy-sweet Zins, but instead it had great acidity to balance everything out.
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nose: dried red fruit, cinnamon, balsa wood. kinda muted
palate: surprisingly balanced. pretty damn nice! good structure. a little hot. juicy red fruit with pronounced acidity and strong tannins. cherry coke. minerality. should hold up for a while. finish is fruity and a bit hot, but it's yummy!
it actually improved on days 2 & 3, adding a strong nose of raspberry vanilla cookies. the acidity toned down and it became rounded and velvety [as much as a zin can].
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Very good, solid, dependable old-shool rendition of Zinfandel that has impeccable varietal aromas and a well balanced mouthfeel. Very briary and made in a drink now style. Good depth and a hint of a brooding character. A nice change of pace from some of the higher octane zins that are produced...
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This bottle was a gift; a pleasant enough wine, drank smooth and easy, nothing complex about it; overall, pleasantly surprised, better than I expected. 4+10+15+6
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For the price, this is one of the better zins I've had in awhile. I'd rather pay 12-13 bucks for this than the 38-40 for their single vineyard offerings. More of the classic restrained style.
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Not rated, because I would score it very low (maybe 70), which seems way off from other CT users. I had a hard time getting past the very chemically aroma - acetone, paint, cleaning fluid. Even after an hour in the glass it was still bad. Some cherry and chocolate trying to peek through, but the aroma and the hot taste made this undrinkable for me. Tossed it out...
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The wine needed a good 45 minutes to find its harmony after opening. Initial impression was of overbearing sweetness.
Very dark, almost black in the center gradually giving way to a dark cherry color on the edge. Heavy, viscous legs on the glass.
Brambly aroma suggesting black fruits with subtle spicy overtones. Quite restrained for a California Zinfandel.
On the palate, full-bodied with enough acidity and tannin to balance the sweetness of the high alcohol content (14.5%). While the balance held, and the moderate tannins offered an interesting backdrop for the wine's fruitiness, this Zinfandel lacked shape on the palate. It tended towards a round, fleshy style, but never really delivered on that promise. The acidity of this wine helped ensure a long finish full of blackberry flavors.
Overall, this wine was both well-made and enjoyable. Stylistically, though, it was hard to pin down. In its aromatic restraint, the wine seemed to suggest an Old World style. However, it did not really challenge the palate nor hold our interest through the course of the bottle. The alcohol level also made this a slightly fatiguing red.
This is a solid bottle to have with a group of friends and a not-too-serious, full-flavored meal.
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When pulled pork is on the menu Zinfandel has to play a part, that's why I opened a bottle of Ravenswood 2009 Sonoma County Old Vines Zinfandel. Ravenswood is a master of the Zinfandel and this one was not different ... it had complexity and paired beautifully with the pork - most prevalent of the flavours: plum and chocolate, but there was black cherry, hints of cola and the right amount of spice.
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8/5/2015 - owr Likes this wine: 90 Points
Zin is a guilty pleasure of mine, I just love them, and feel I can never have enough bottles of them (you never know when a BBQ is going to break out and you'll need a bottle) ... this Ravenswood was the cat's meow. Nose of plum and black cherry and a palate that just kept giving different taste experiences with each sip: plum, black cherry, mocha, spiced-vanilla, sounds like it could be one of those thick, syrupy-sweet Zins, but instead it had great acidity to balance everything out.
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12/7/2013 - Necowine wrote: 84 Points
dark, tannic, and still not showing much 3 hours after opening. fruit and spice that we got was a bit stale. unexciting.
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11/2/2013 - wintergreen Likes this wine: 87 Points
nose: dried red fruit, cinnamon, balsa wood. kinda muted
palate: surprisingly balanced. pretty damn nice! good structure. a little hot. juicy red fruit with pronounced acidity and strong tannins. cherry coke. minerality. should hold up for a while. finish is fruity and a bit hot, but it's yummy!
it actually improved on days 2 & 3, adding a strong nose of raspberry vanilla cookies. the acidity toned down and it became rounded and velvety [as much as a zin can].
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7/27/2013 - Marc wrote: 87 Points
Very good, solid, dependable old-shool rendition of Zinfandel that has impeccable varietal aromas and a well balanced mouthfeel. Very briary and made in a drink now style. Good depth and a hint of a brooding character. A nice change of pace from some of the higher octane zins that are produced...
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6/26/2013 - jrockman wrote: 85 Points
This bottle was a gift; a pleasant enough wine, drank smooth and easy, nothing complex about it; overall, pleasantly surprised, better than I expected. 4+10+15+6
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5/12/2013 - ucsbmullet wrote: 91 Points
For the price, this is one of the better zins I've had in awhile. I'd rather pay 12-13 bucks for this than the 38-40 for their single vineyard offerings. More of the classic restrained style.
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1/30/2013 - budh wrote:
Not rated, because I would score it very low (maybe 70), which seems way off from other CT users. I had a hard time getting past the very chemically aroma - acetone, paint, cleaning fluid. Even after an hour in the glass it was still bad. Some cherry and chocolate trying to peek through, but the aroma and the hot taste made this undrinkable for me. Tossed it out...
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11/9/2012 - scaredone wrote: 90 Points
Dark cherry colour, light on aroma, well balanced fruit and acidity, a nicely done zin. Was better than the last time I had it. Bottle or me?
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9/24/2012 - pjamaral wrote: 87 Points
The wine needed a good 45 minutes to find its harmony after opening. Initial impression was of overbearing sweetness.
Very dark, almost black in the center gradually giving way to a dark cherry color on the edge. Heavy, viscous legs on the glass.
Brambly aroma suggesting black fruits with subtle spicy overtones. Quite restrained for a California Zinfandel.
On the palate, full-bodied with enough acidity and tannin to balance the sweetness of the high alcohol content (14.5%). While the balance held, and the moderate tannins offered an interesting backdrop for the wine's fruitiness, this Zinfandel lacked shape on the palate. It tended towards a round, fleshy style, but never really delivered on that promise. The acidity of this wine helped ensure a long finish full of blackberry flavors.
Overall, this wine was both well-made and enjoyable. Stylistically, though, it was hard to pin down. In its aromatic restraint, the wine seemed to suggest an Old World style. However, it did not really challenge the palate nor hold our interest through the course of the bottle. The alcohol level also made this a slightly fatiguing red.
This is a solid bottle to have with a group of friends and a not-too-serious, full-flavored meal.
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9/3/2012 - Xfactor wrote: 89 Points
All the richness balance and dark smokiness that makes Sonoma zin great.
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6/18/2012 - owr wrote: 90 Points
When pulled pork is on the menu Zinfandel has to play a part, that's why I opened a bottle of Ravenswood 2009 Sonoma County Old Vines Zinfandel. Ravenswood is a master of the Zinfandel and this one was not different ... it had complexity and paired beautifully with the pork - most prevalent of the flavours: plum and chocolate, but there was black cherry, hints of cola and the right amount of spice.
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5/15/2012 - tuxboxxer Likes this wine: 90 Points
Garnet/Burgundy color, fruity - though a bit dry. Full bodied.
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