Zin tasting at PRIMA

Duane showed up with a bag full of Zins, but due to sparse attendance only two were popped, courtesy of Victor, who was toasted in absentia. Meanwhile all you other homies, you know who you are, you who couldn't make it as you were busy writing your congressmen and women in support of reconciliation, here's to you, while Duane and I reconciled ourselves to tasting these two Zins.

• 2004 Rosenblum Cellars Zinfandel Lyons Reserve Napa Valley 91 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  nose- porty. earth, chocolate, raisin, liqueur. nose opens with some time in glass
  mouth - chocolate and porty. complex and grew on me with time. You can sense the 16.2% Etoh. In actuality this was about as close to port as you can get without being port, but in a delicious sort of way. Why order desert, when you can just drink this??

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• 2005 Rosenblum Cellars Zinfandel Maggie's Reserve 90 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley

  nose - vibrant, fruity, red cherry, and coffee
  mouth - lush red fruit with good length, definite vanilla overtones. Some hints of tea. A generous fruit forward offering, but somewhat lacking in complexity. I surmise this would be well like by many.

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And I must say, my faith in Zin has been (partially) restored. I had been on a Zin ebb for some while, cant say I even own a single bottle these days, yet the 2004 Lyons Reserve was an outstanding bottle that grew on me and reminds me of PORT. It also reminds me of how Parker loved the 2003 Pavie giving it 98, while Jancis scored it 12/20 finding it porty and reminiscent of a late harvest zinfandel. To each their own. Overall I think the Maggie's reserve, being more fruit forward, will appeal to a broader group, and though my first inclination was to like it better, with time Duane brought me around to favoring the Lyon's Reserve as a wine with more class and complexity.