1999 Rosenblum Cellars Zinfandel Rockpile Road Vineyard

Community Tasting Notes (5) Avg Score: 91.3 points

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  10/4/2022 - forceberry wrote: 88 Points

  15% alcohol. Tasted half-blind.
  
  Dense, deep and still remarkably youthful pomegranate red color with a subtly purplish hue. The nose is rich, dark-toned and slightly sweetish with aromas of blueberries, some cherry marmalade, a little bit of licorice, light creamy-marmaladey notes of diacetyl, a boozy hint of alcohol and a touch of earthy spice. The wine feels ripe, rich and slightly jammy on the palate with a full body and sweet-toned flavors of blueberry jam, some raisiny tones, a little bit of balsamic richness, light blueberry tones, a hint of savory wood spice and a touch of diacetyl. The ripeness, richness of the fruit and the high alcohol lend some roundness to the mouthfeel, yet the overall feel is quite impressively structured, thanks to both the moderately high acidity and still enjoyably firm and grippy tannins. The finish is long, rich and quite hot with moderately pronounced tannic grip and intense flavors of blueberry jam and cherry marmalade, some peppery spice, a little bit of ripe boysenberry, light raisiny tones, a melted butter hint of diacetyl and a touch of balsamic richness.
  
  A rather big, ripe and voluptuous Zinfandel that would've been quite bold and fruity to begin with, but there's also this faint streak of diacetyl that lends a lush, sweet and vaguely creamy edge to the flavors, boosting the ripe fruit flavors to somewhat jammy territory. The wine is technically dry, more or less, but the combination of ripeness, diacetyl and high alcohol lend a slightly sweet overall quality to the wine, which sort of suits the style, but at the same time makes the wine feel more like a lush and fruity crowdpleaser - and not really my kind of wine. However, the wine is still remarkably youthful for its age, so it's definitely possible the wine will develop into a more savory effort with further aging. At least there seems to be quite a bit of room left for further evolution. Enjoyable, but ultimately a bit too hot and sweet for my taste. Priced according to its quality at 29€.

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  9/14/2005 - wineismylife wrote: 90 Points

  WIML90,WA89,WS88
  Tasted September 14, 2005 at an offline at a restaurant so brief comments only. Opened and served immediately in Spiegelau Authenthis Magnum glasses. Purple to crimson in color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of dark fruits, crushed plums and spice. Dried cranberries, black berries and red licorice on the palate. Drink now. Recommended.

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  10/5/2001 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 93 Points

  Similar impression as 8/1/01.

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  8/1/2001 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 93 Points

  Tasted at horizontal 1999 zinfandel tasting at the Wine Bank. This was the clear standout among six wines. The color is opaque purple with a ruby rim. The nose (after 60 minutes of breathing) shows intense black fruit (blackberry and black plum) with moderate oak, cedar and exotic spices. The palate is almost syrup-like, with full body, huge extract and a sense of sweetness that is almost assuredly due to the high glycerin/alcohol effect rather than residual sugar. The tannins are ample but supple. The finish is long and relatively smooth for such a young wine. This is a beautifully constructed zinfandel which should drink best in approximately 1-2 years, then hold nicely for another 1-2 years.

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  1/27/2001 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 92 Points

  ZAP (San Francisco, Ca.): intense. #20

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