1997 A. Rafanelli Zinfandel

Community Tasting Notes (10) Avg Score: 89.2 points

• Options

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

  12/5/2023 - Sanlucar Likes this wine: 92 Points

  Fruit quickly fades away (20 - 30 min) but this wine retains its integrity and balance. If you have any of this in your cellar, just pop the cork and consume within an hour; it's still very good but will not last long. Solid cork and mild shoulder stain, required no filtration nor decanting.

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

• Options

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

  7/26/2014 - cweiss wrote:

  Inventory Reduction Dinner. Still recognizably Zin and worth drinking but clearly its best days are pretty far behind it.

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

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View Night Train's profile
  • Report Issue

  8/9/2013 - Night Train Likes this wine: 89 Points

  Cork was almost soaked, and given its age, I was very apprehensive. No brick, but color was extremely light for any red, let alone a Dry Creek zin. By itself, it was inoffensive at best, but with food, it was pretty damned tasty. If I'd had the sense to drink it at its peak (about ten years ago), it probably would have been killer.

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

• Options

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

  8/4/2011 - leskin wrote: 89 Points

  A bit past its prime, but still a noble wine. Good acid balance, ruby red color. Jammy fruit but fading fast. Drink this now.

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

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View Mike Kopanski's profile
  • Report Issue

  9/12/2009 - Mike Kopanski wrote: 92 Points

  This is one of the best aged Zinfandel's I have ever tasted. I bought my 2 bottle allocation of this vintage at the winery in 2000. Saved this one for 9 years, and it was worth it. We decanted it for 2 hours before tasting, but we knew we had a winner from the aromas while pouring. Still very young on the nose, quite fruity, a little oakey. The flavors are starting to show some of those secondary and tertiary caramel and licorice flavors, more like a Cabernet than a Zin. The color is still almost black, with some browning. There is a rocky, earthy spiciness that is quite unique. The amazing blackberry pie fruit fruit is perfectly balanced by the acidity. More tannins than most young Zins exhibit. This is kind of a Napa style Zin from the middle of Dry Creek. Hmmm.

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

View all 10 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.