2020 de Négoce Zinfandel OG N.254

Community Tasting Notes (3) Avg Score: 91.5 points

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  11/25/2023 - wmccone54 wrote: 91 Points

  I found this improved throughout the evening with decanting. Hit its stride at about the 90 minute mark. Displays a wide range of red fruits: wild raspberries, chewy cherries, very ripe strawberries, and purple plums. Still primary, not much complexity at this juncture. In spite of the plethora of upfront fruits, there’s definitely enough tannin and acidity in play to provide structure and balance. Lots of freshness, no signs of obtrusive oak. Long finish. Additional cellaring should help this gain complexity. Drink
  Now through 2026. Should be a good food wine.

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  5/6/2023 - brianschool Likes this wine: 93 Points

  This is a fabulous Zinfandel, one of the better Zins I’ve ever had. It’s got a lot going on as it relates to the nose: fruit, chocolate, light toast. On the palate, inky black fruits, balancing power with finesse, including truffle, caramel, dark cherry, and chocolatey oak. All very well balanced and absolutely singing in the glass right out of bottle.
  
  I was unable to decant this, so no idea if any improvement to be gained with a decant. The wine was excellent right out of bottle.

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  4/17/2023 - P90Noir wrote:

  Sourced from a Zinfandel master with access to top-notch fruit from one of Dry Creek's most legendary vineyards (rhymes with Snoopy and may or may not have been part of the prize winner at the 1976 Judgement of Paris).
  
  This is a no-expense spared Zinfandel aged in 33% new French oak and built for a $50/bottle price point.
  
  Inky, almost opaque in the glass. Brambly blackberry and black cherry fruit are haloed with chocolate truffle and toasty toffee oak notes but there is a cool-climate sophistication and elegance to this bouquet...everything is nicely delineated and never overripe. Clearly a deft-hand at work here. This sensibility extends to the exceptionally-balanced palate where ripe raspberry and black fruit conspire with a good mix of mineral and oak-influenced cocoa and dark chocolate wood notes in an lengthy finish with good grip and persistence.

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