1997 J. Rochioli Zinfandel Sodini

Community Tasting Notes (9) Avg Score: 90.9 points

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View bobdobilina's profile
  • Report Issue

  1/4/2016 - bobdobilina wrote: 91 Points

  Given about a 2 hour slow-ox.
  
  Bricking Burgundy color
  
  Autumnal nose of wet leaves a hint of VA
  
  Plum on the palate. The fruit remains quite crisp still. Good acid. Finishes with dusty tannins. Probably a tad past it's prime but still fine.

  Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View huevosconvino's profile
  • Report Issue

  9/7/2014 - huevosconvino Likes this wine: 91 Points

  Put a Wine Keeper in it so it wouldn't fade too quickly. Surprisingly lithe, very fruity and delicious; wish K&L had more today.

  Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View John Dunlap's profile
  • Report Issue

  7/4/2010 - John Dunlap wrote: 91 Points

  Purchased a few extra bottles of this wine directly from the winery when competition for their wines was not so frenetic. Have always enjoyed all their wines, but sadly, I removed myself from the mailing list due to – as I recall – allocation requirements. This is my last bottle of their Zinfandel.
  
  Stored under good conditions since purchase. Ullage was minimal with approximately 3/8” inches of space. Cork in reasonably good shape and pulled intact. One could smell the wine immediately after removing the cork - which was a good omen for any wine let alone a 14-year-old Zinfandel.
  
  Color was quite nice with some bricking and a very nice (i.e., reassuring) mahogany red center. Very clear and visually evocative of a mature wine along the lines of a seven-to- ten-year-old Pinot Noir. The nose is sweet and is completely integrated with no astringency. Note moderately rich red fruits and red licorice in the nose; all seamlessly intertwined. Likewise, the taste is very smooth with elements similar to the nose along with strawberry, leather and a bit of pipe tobacco. The finish is round with little tannic presence. Also, noticed a bit of iodine at the tail end of the flavor profile, but this is completely innocuous. No hint of alcohol in the nose or on the palate despite being 14.5 percent. Still good the second day, but best to drink up.
  
  The back label states: “Located at the north end of the Russian River Valley, this wine comes from the oldest part of the Sodini Vineayrd, planted in 1905 and is a classic example of old vine Zinfandel.”
  
  The strapping young Zinfandel flavors that I recall are no more; instead, the wine has evolved into something wonderful and mature. Typically, I cellar and consume Zinfandels in the first five years, but wines like this prove that some Zinfandels - from good producers, older vineyards, and excellent years - can age nicely much like Cabernets Sauvignons, Pinot Noirs, Chianti Riservas, and reasonably priced Bordeaux form good years. As a corollary, see my 2/16/07 notes on drinking the 1995 Alderbrook Zinfandel Russian River Valley Gamba Vineayrds 1.5l.

  Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View jlgnml's profile
  • Report Issue

  10/14/2007 - jlgnml wrote: 92 Points

  Opened very nice. A little spice but not to much. Soft tanin's and great color. Lacked the dominate zinfandel flavor I was looking for. With a traditional pasta dinner so how could we go wrong.

  Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View blgros's profile
  • Report Issue

  1/7/2006 - blgros wrote: 94 Points

  Boy, what a smooth wine. Elegant, maybe. Fruit still showing nicely, more red fruits. Little tannin, just smooth through the finish. Fairly light, for zinfandel, but smooth and enjoyable.

  Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

View all 9 Community Tasting Notes

Professional reviews have copyrights and you can view them here for your personal use only as private content. To view pro reviews you must either subscribe to a pre-integrated publication or manually enter reviews below. Learn more.