Ruby garnet in color. Raspberry spice on the nose. Has solid body and acidity to it, and light tannins present. Black cherry, spices, and other complexities coming through. Held up well with a grilled porterhouse steak.
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PnP. Oddly, this wine seems to have put on some weight compared to the prior two bottles. Was expecting the same elegant complex Zin as before but this bottle seemed quite a bit more muscular. Still drinking beautifully with notes of raspberry, black cherry, a touch of oak, and a bit of spiciness on the finish. Fully resolved tannins, good acidity, and zero sediment.
Enjoyed in a Riedel Vinum Chianti Classico glass at 65°F. Sad this is my last & final bottle, but its drinking fantastically right now.
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PnV. Deep crimson in color and very translucent. Zero sediment just like last time. Initially closed on the nose, it later opened up nicely with aromas of deep ripe raspberries, vanilla, and some oak. Great complexity and acidity on the palate. Be sure to give it an hour or two for this nice lighter Zin to open up.
Enjoyed in a Riedel Vinum Chianti Classico glass at 68F.
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Ether and strawberry on the nose. On the palate, blackberry, black cherry, white pepper, and earth/leather, with no noticeable tannins and good acidity. This is balanced and tasty, and right in its drinking window: the Cellartracker estimate is much too short. It is starting to go downhill on the second day, but it's still far from falling apart. I would guess it has three to five years left before it starts to fade. I didn't notice the high alcohol that others have mentioned. This was a bargain at about $35. I see that subsequent vintages are now in the $45 range, which is still decent value if the quality is the same.
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Bright garnet. Strawberry pie, baking spice, and jolly rancher nose. Medium bodied, raspberries, pepper, chocolate cherries, sweet tannins, caramel, and a long spicy finish. Superb, and proof that Zin can age gracefully.
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Our reaction to this wine was stated previously by Costacasa below. Exhibited a beautiful nose on a very warm Spring evening in Palm Springs with spaghetti and tomato sauce. Glad I have a few bottles left to enjoy.
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PnVnD. Fairly light ruby in color and very transparent. There was surprisingly little sediment after 7 years in the bottle. Lots of fine legs with red cherry, spice, and a bit of floral in the somewhat muted nose. Light in body. Clean with good acid. Reminds me a lot of McFadden's Old Vine Zin. Both are great food wines.
Enjoyed in a Riedel Vinum Chianti Classico glass at 62F.
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Still drinking wonderfully. This wine is a great example of what makes a California Zin so unique. So smooth/drinkable, a smack of spice, nice long finish. Pairs well with a variety of dishes, and great to drink independent of food.
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A year and a half since my last bottle (because I couldn't find this one). At that time, I thought it was headed downhill, but it really hasn't changed since then. Somewhat light color, clear at the edge. Very Port-like nose - sweetness and high octane. On the palate, however, it was dry, and the alcohol wasn't noticeable. Medium (at most) body, but the HUGE fruit lingered long after swallowing. Minimal tannins at this point and no acidity whatsoever. A pleasant wine, but not a "serious" wine.
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This is an exceptionally smooth bottle of wine. Nearly no acid anymore though. It wasn't quite as good to pair with food as it was to just drink, relax, and enjoy. It's probably time to drink them if you have any.
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PnP it's delicious. Restrained blackberry fruit with some very tart cranberry on the finish. Something herbaceous and spicy is also there - I guess this is the "brambly" combination. Nose is slightly hot and otherwise relatively muted, although I think there's a touch of blueberry and caramel.
Heat blew off with time, of course, and this even went well with spicy BBQ sauce! No major character changes in the couple hours it was open, just opening up and getting tastier. Just a delicious bottle that's in a nice window.
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Awesome. Easily recognizable as a Zin. Nice acidic bite. Nice mild tannin structure. Juicy and full in the mouth without being gloppy. Sad it was my only bottle.
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No mistaking what this was - a pretty full-throttle zin. Label says 14.5%, but it tasted more like 16%. Rambunctious and slightly sweet. Big boy, with nice body and a good finish. Still, I could have used a little more bite, maybe a little more acidity. I suspect it's slightly past its peak and should be drunk pretty soon.
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Wonderful bottle of wine. Please see previous notes from Nov. '11 and Nov. '12. Sorry to say that this was my fiinal bottle from this stellar vintage... now it's on to the '08. 94 pts.
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Not the biggest Zinfandel drinker in the world, probably have 5 or so bottles a year, so I have limited knowledge of this grape. However, this would qualify as one of the best bottles I have had.
First impression that came to mind on the nose was prominent blackberry and eucalyptus. The palate was loaded with more hug black fruit, cigar box and a hint of white pepper. Slight silkiness to this relatively soft wine, tannins were well restrained. Small amount of heat on a very long finish.
This is definitely a wine I would purchase again.
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Tasted blind. Hands down, one of the best zins I have ever tasted. Nose of caramel, black stone fruit, clove, black currant, and a hint of leather. Palate: oakey with soft tannins, intense concentrated fruit such as black cherry. Long, complex fruity finish.
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Tasted this blind with ICaWineGuy Nose: Black currant, dark, ripe cherry, clove, and a hint of leather Palate: A little oak, softening tannins, black cherry. This is smooth, absolutely delicious, and layered. Look for a long finish with perhaps a little red licorice note I can not say enough about Scott Harvey's wines, and this one in particular. This is one of, if not THE best Zin I've had the pleasure of drinking. I regret only having one bottle in the cellar. Superb. 94-95 pts.
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This a very well balanced zin with cherry and perhaps, dark berry upfront. Good tannins and a chalky finish. Spice kicks in at the end. Fun wine to drink anytime. Next time, will try letting this breathe for a 1/2 day or so to see how it changes.
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Blind tasted. Served at 13°C, wich is a good idea. Nose of extracted red fruit, caramel, and sweat corn dairy soup. Mouth sappy of a new world cabernet, but with a gentle sweat finish wich signs the grape type for me. My French guests enjoyed it but had few glasses because of its weight. Personnatly I liked it for the balance, the well management of the freshness, and the interesting story behind the bottle. It is remarquable that even with this so ancient vines, the north america still add new oak and extraction. A good and enjoyed experience, thanks to capt Cutlass.
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Again, amazing. Incredibly well balanced. Cherry, pomegranate, tobacco, spice (white pepper) on the nose. Mouthfeel is biting and acidic, but in an incredibly enjoyable way. Everything about this wine is elegant and soft, but at the same time bold and assertive.
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Awsome well balanced effort by SH. Solid all the way scent, visually, front to back of palate. Well integrated with all of the subtle complexity that you would want from a well crafted and well handled wine. One of my favorite zins to date.
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Incredibly solid zin. Not overbearing with fruit as many tend to be. Balanced dark cherries and bramble berries with a solid tanic structure and some spicy hints in there. Even better the second day (almost reminiscent of a medium-bodied burgundy or rhone)
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Drank after dinner. PnV, then let breathe for 1 hr. Bouquet of ripe black cherry & dark berries (notably blueberry, blackberry & raspberry), leather, cinnamon & clove aromas, later developing prominent briary, tobacco & cocoa notes w/more air time. Juicy red & black fruit flavors, sweet spices & evolving into more earthy notes on palate as it sat. Balanced w/sweet firm tannins, medium acidity, full-bodied & a nice lingering finish. Impressive showing & looking forward to how my other bottle will develop over time.
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WOW. What an exceptional wine! Tobacco and juicy cherry up front. A drier back end, with a kick of spice & a very L-O-N-G lasting finish and chalky, full coating mouthfeel. Not as extracted a taste as the 2007 Cigarzin, my favorite zin until tasting this one. At this point I'd have to put them head-to-head to choose a winner. Distinctly different, yet both absolutely delicious. Loved this wine. Got a great deal on this at Lot18, but only have one more. Should've bought more for sure.
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Blood-bank red in the glass with a generous nose of red berries, spice and smoke. Notes of lush fruit, spice, vanilla, leather and chocolate. Juicy and delicious with solid tannins and a medium finish. Tasted a sip after aerating with the rabbit, but it offered no improvements in this case and left the wine flat. Despite this, my guess is that this wine will continue to improve for another few years.
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Even better than I remember! Brilliant, balanced zinfandel. Spicy, but not enough to stand up to the somewhat spicy pork we had for dinner. Good trade-off between fruit and tannin and earthy notes. Wish I had more than two left.
Red fruit and peppery on the nose with light earth. Extremely nice mouthfeel and extremely smooth. Nice pepper, earth, light red fruit and a little vanilla in the mouth also. Medium mouth and long finish.
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A superlative Zinfandel that blends high heat and big flavor without ever becoming difficult to drink. A thoroughly desobering reminder that the so-called "challenging" Zinfandels are not doing anything a truly well-made wine isn't doing without being off-putting. Magnificent.
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4/26/2020 - McMalbec Likes this wine: 90 Points
Popped for a zoom zin wine tasting and this wine continues to please.
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10/1/2017 - HitAnyKey Likes this wine: 92 Points
Ruby garnet in color. Raspberry spice on the nose. Has solid body and acidity to it, and light tannins present. Black cherry, spices, and other complexities coming through. Held up well with a grilled porterhouse steak.
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6/3/2017 - hesnctrl Likes this wine: 93 Points
PnP. Oddly, this wine seems to have put on some weight compared to the prior two bottles. Was expecting the same elegant complex Zin as before but this bottle seemed quite a bit more muscular. Still drinking beautifully with notes of raspberry, black cherry, a touch of oak, and a bit of spiciness on the finish. Fully resolved tannins, good acidity, and zero sediment.
Enjoyed in a Riedel Vinum Chianti Classico glass at 65°F. Sad this is my last & final bottle, but its drinking fantastically right now.
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8/27/2016 - hesnctrl Likes this wine: 92 Points
PnV. Deep crimson in color and very translucent. Zero sediment just like last time. Initially closed on the nose, it later opened up nicely with aromas of deep ripe raspberries, vanilla, and some oak. Great complexity and acidity on the palate. Be sure to give it an hour or two for this nice lighter Zin to open up.
Enjoyed in a Riedel Vinum Chianti Classico glass at 68F.
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8/2/2016 - RichardP wrote: 93 Points
Ether and strawberry on the nose. On the palate, blackberry, black cherry, white pepper, and earth/leather, with no noticeable tannins and good acidity. This is balanced and tasty, and right in its drinking window: the Cellartracker estimate is much too short. It is starting to go downhill on the second day, but it's still far from falling apart. I would guess it has three to five years left before it starts to fade. I didn't notice the high alcohol that others have mentioned. This was a bargain at about $35. I see that subsequent vintages are now in the $45 range, which is still decent value if the quality is the same.
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2/6/2016 - merryberry Likes this wine: 93 Points
Bright garnet. Strawberry pie, baking spice, and jolly rancher nose. Medium bodied, raspberries, pepper, chocolate cherries, sweet tannins, caramel, and a long spicy finish. Superb, and proof that Zin can age gracefully.
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4/19/2015 - McMalbec Likes this wine: 91 Points
Our reaction to this wine was stated previously by Costacasa below. Exhibited a beautiful nose on a very warm Spring evening in Palm Springs with spaghetti and tomato sauce. Glad I have a few bottles left to enjoy.
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4/4/2015 - hesnctrl Likes this wine: 90 Points
PnVnD. Fairly light ruby in color and very transparent. There was surprisingly little sediment after 7 years in the bottle. Lots of fine legs with red cherry, spice, and a bit of floral in the somewhat muted nose. Light in body. Clean with good acid. Reminds me a lot of McFadden's Old Vine Zin. Both are great food wines.
Enjoyed in a Riedel Vinum Chianti Classico glass at 62F.
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3/2/2015 - costacasa wrote: 91 Points
Still drinking wonderfully. This wine is a great example of what makes a California Zin so unique. So smooth/drinkable, a smack of spice, nice long finish. Pairs well with a variety of dishes, and great to drink independent of food.
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12/5/2014 - klezman wrote:
Can taste a slight bit of the port addition, but overall this is a delicious old school style Zinfandel. Light, red fruit, spices, and great acid.
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10/19/2014 - Night Train Likes this wine: 89 Points
A year and a half since my last bottle (because I couldn't find this one). At that time, I thought it was headed downhill, but it really hasn't changed since then. Somewhat light color, clear at the edge. Very Port-like nose - sweetness and high octane. On the palate, however, it was dry, and the alcohol wasn't noticeable. Medium (at most) body, but the HUGE fruit lingered long after swallowing. Minimal tannins at this point and no acidity whatsoever. A pleasant wine, but not a "serious" wine.
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9/20/2014 - afketter Likes this wine: 92 Points
This is an exceptionally smooth bottle of wine. Nearly no acid anymore though. It wasn't quite as good to pair with food as it was to just drink, relax, and enjoy. It's probably time to drink them if you have any.
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3/10/2014 - richardkim wrote: 84 Points
A light style and easy drinking, without much character.
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12/26/2013 - klezman wrote:
PnP it's delicious. Restrained blackberry fruit with some very tart cranberry on the finish. Something herbaceous and spicy is also there - I guess this is the "brambly" combination. Nose is slightly hot and otherwise relatively muted, although I think there's a touch of blueberry and caramel.
Heat blew off with time, of course, and this even went well with spicy BBQ sauce! No major character changes in the couple hours it was open, just opening up and getting tastier. Just a delicious bottle that's in a nice window.
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8/14/2013 - Wicked Panda wrote: 90 Points
Initially tight on opening. Decanted a bit, and that wonderful fruits showed. Nice finish with a hint of tannins on the tongue
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6/22/2013 - KyleMittskus wrote: 90 Points
Awesome. Easily recognizable as a Zin. Nice acidic bite. Nice mild tannin structure. Juicy and full in the mouth without being gloppy. Sad it was my only bottle.
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4/21/2013 - Night Train Likes this wine: 89 Points
No mistaking what this was - a pretty full-throttle zin. Label says 14.5%, but it tasted more like 16%. Rambunctious and slightly sweet. Big boy, with nice body and a good finish. Still, I could have used a little more bite, maybe a little more acidity. I suspect it's slightly past its peak and should be drunk pretty soon.
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3/30/2013 - MadisonWIneGuy wrote: 94 Points
Wonderful bottle of wine. Please see previous notes from Nov. '11 and Nov. '12. Sorry to say that this was my fiinal bottle from this stellar vintage... now it's on to the '08. 94 pts.
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12/27/2012 - cabdrinker Likes this wine:
Very Good
Not the biggest Zinfandel drinker in the world, probably have 5 or so bottles a year, so I have limited knowledge of this grape. However, this would qualify as one of the best bottles I have had.
First impression that came to mind on the nose was prominent blackberry and eucalyptus. The palate was loaded with more hug black fruit, cigar box and a hint of white pepper. Slight silkiness to this relatively soft wine, tannins were well restrained. Small amount of heat on a very long finish.
This is definitely a wine I would purchase again.
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12/12/2012 - klezman Likes this wine:
Always fantastic. Tight fruit core with some other stuff going on, just at PnP. Will see what happens later in a day or two.
A couple nights later it started off kind of dull and raisiny but after some air turned into something with more subtlety and complexity. Win.
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11/21/2012 - Evans Wine Cellar Likes this wine: 93 Points
Excellent Wine!!!! Scott Harvey always produces wonderful wine.
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11/6/2012 - ICaWineGuy wrote: 93 Points
Tasted blind. Hands down, one of the best zins I have ever tasted. Nose of caramel, black stone fruit, clove, black currant, and a hint of leather. Palate: oakey with soft tannins, intense concentrated fruit such as black cherry. Long, complex fruity finish.
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11/3/2012 - MadisonWIneGuy wrote: 94 Points
Tasted this blind with ICaWineGuy
Nose: Black currant, dark, ripe cherry, clove, and a hint of leather
Palate: A little oak, softening tannins, black cherry. This is smooth, absolutely delicious, and layered. Look for a long finish with perhaps a little red licorice note
I can not say enough about Scott Harvey's wines, and this one in particular. This is one of, if not THE best Zin I've had the pleasure of drinking. I regret only having one bottle in the cellar. Superb. 94-95 pts.
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7/22/2012 - costacasa wrote: 89 Points
This a very well balanced zin with cherry and perhaps, dark berry upfront. Good tannins and a chalky finish. Spice kicks in at the end. Fun wine to drink anytime. Next time, will try letting this breathe for a 1/2 day or so to see how it changes.
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7/19/2012 - dead puddle wrote: 89 Points
Blind tasted. Served at 13°C, wich is a good idea. Nose of extracted red fruit, caramel, and sweat corn dairy soup. Mouth sappy of a new world cabernet, but with a gentle sweat finish wich signs the grape type for me. My French guests enjoyed it but had few glasses because of its weight. Personnatly I liked it for the balance, the well management of the freshness, and the interesting story behind the bottle. It is remarquable that even with this so ancient vines, the north america still add new oak and extraction. A good and enjoyed experience, thanks to capt Cutlass.
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6/26/2012 - bechi wrote:
Still drinking really well.
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2/8/2012 - bookreportgrid wrote: 93 Points
Again, amazing. Incredibly well balanced. Cherry, pomegranate, tobacco, spice (white pepper) on the nose. Mouthfeel is biting and acidic, but in an incredibly enjoyable way. Everything about this wine is elegant and soft, but at the same time bold and assertive.
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12/16/2011 - Cozmick wrote: 93 Points
Awsome well balanced effort by SH. Solid all the way scent, visually, front to back of palate. Well integrated with all of the subtle complexity that you would want from a well crafted and well handled wine. One of my favorite zins to date.
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12/14/2011 - bookreportgrid wrote: 92 Points
Incredibly solid zin. Not overbearing with fruit as many tend to be. Balanced dark cherries and bramble berries with a solid tanic structure and some spicy hints in there. Even better the second day (almost reminiscent of a medium-bodied burgundy or rhone)
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11/26/2011 - DRS-Inc wrote: 92 Points
Drank after dinner. PnV, then let breathe for 1 hr. Bouquet of ripe black cherry & dark berries (notably blueberry, blackberry & raspberry), leather, cinnamon & clove aromas, later developing prominent briary, tobacco & cocoa notes w/more air time. Juicy red & black fruit flavors, sweet spices & evolving into more earthy notes on palate as it sat. Balanced w/sweet firm tannins, medium acidity, full-bodied & a nice lingering finish. Impressive showing & looking forward to how my other bottle will develop over time.
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11/24/2011 - SleazyOtto wrote: 93 Points
Everyone's favorite on Thanksgiving, we had to open the second bottle. Fruit-bomb, but not overpowering, nor too jammy; very smooth, long finish.
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11/19/2011 - MadisonWIneGuy wrote: 94 Points
WOW. What an exceptional wine! Tobacco and juicy cherry up front. A drier back end, with a kick of spice & a very L-O-N-G lasting finish and chalky, full coating mouthfeel. Not as extracted a taste as the 2007 Cigarzin, my favorite zin until tasting this one. At this point I'd have to put them head-to-head to choose a winner. Distinctly different, yet both absolutely delicious. Loved this wine. Got a great deal on this at Lot18, but only have one more. Should've bought more for sure.
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10/9/2011 - bechi wrote: 91 Points
Blood-bank red in the glass with a generous nose of red berries, spice and smoke. Notes of lush fruit, spice, vanilla, leather and chocolate. Juicy and delicious with solid tannins and a medium finish. Tasted a sip after aerating with the rabbit, but it offered no improvements in this case and left the wine flat. Despite this, my guess is that this wine will continue to improve for another few years.
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3/17/2011 - joshwoodward wrote: 89 Points
Corks: California (Highflyer / Priest Ranch) (Rossford, OH): Sour cream ranch chip nose, very ripe. On the palate, ripe, creamy oak, black fruit. Good acid, though a bit more wouldn't hurt. Spicy.
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1/31/2011 - bambam wrote: 92 Points
ZAP 2011 20th Annual Grand Tasting; 1/29/2011-1/31/2011 (San Francisco, Fort Mason): A very nice zin with good balance and everything in the right amount.
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12/31/2010 - klezman Likes this wine:
Even better than I remember! Brilliant, balanced zinfandel. Spicy, but not enough to stand up to the somewhat spicy pork we had for dinner. Good trade-off between fruit and tannin and earthy notes. Wish I had more than two left.
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11/4/2010 - Food&Wine wrote: 93 Points
Red fruit and peppery on the nose with light earth. Extremely nice mouthfeel and extremely smooth. Nice pepper, earth, light red fruit and a little vanilla in the mouth also. Medium mouth and long finish.
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8/3/2010 - PhilSandifer Likes this wine: 97 Points
A superlative Zinfandel that blends high heat and big flavor without ever becoming difficult to drink. A thoroughly desobering reminder that the so-called "challenging" Zinfandels are not doing anything a truly well-made wine isn't doing without being off-putting. Magnificent.
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7/21/2010 - merryberry Likes this wine: 91 Points
Well integrated and structured dark red fruit with pepper. Delicious.
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