2nd Annual 7 Deadly Zins tasting…well, 10

what is, by dint of this being the second one, an annual tasting of Zinfandels (and Primitivo's) and Zinfandel dominant blends. Myself, Dave, Ben, Estella, Frank, Dario, Maria and Wayne squeezed around my table and we tucked into various sausages, jacket potatoes and veg followed by plentiful cheese and, finally, sticky pudding (thanks Frank). All wines were tasted blind before we ate: serving order was completely random.

• 2013 Azienda Agricola Natalino del Prete Natalì Salento IGT

  Italy, Puglia, Salento IGT

  cherry, wet stone, rose - floral notes, slight cheesy and meaty aromas on the nose. In the mouth the wine is juicy, with cherry and spice, growing front of mouth and slightly course tannins, some alcohol heat, quite blocky structure and disjointed and still a bit on the young side for me.

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• 2012 Kirkland Signature Old Vine Zinfandel

  USA, California, Sonoma County

  aromas of cream, vanilla, sweet spice, slight chocolate and confected plum and marginally marred with slight off meat notes. In the mouth the wine is juicy, rounded on the palate with warm plus and slight sweet spice, carries quite long. Simple but nice enough.

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• 2010 Scott Harvey Zinfandel Old Vine Reserve

  USA, California, Sierra Foothills, Amador County

  Aromas of toast, red and black plums, biscuit, charcuterie, slight sweet spice and very light herbaceous notes. In the mouth the wine has flavours of juicy plum and cherry, more spice - almost peppery - here, quite concentrated with fine slight talc like tannins. Some alcohol warmth on the long finish and quite savoury notes as well. nice.

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• 2011 Cape Mentelle Zinfandel

  Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Margaret River

  Slight herbaceous notes then BBQ meat - almost charred burgers, tomato leaf, slight cream, smells rich, spicy. In the mouth the wine is juicy and savoury. A tight tannin hit, very slight vanilla essence, plummy hints, very well structured with broadness of palate without losing focus. Rather good but, arguably, lacks fruit.

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• 2006 Ridge Lytton Springs

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley

  Spice, biscuit, slight toast, red cherry and berry, vanilla then plum as well as some alcohol heat prickle to the nose. In the mouth the wine is juicy with flavours of plum over cherry, quite savoury but vanilla notes here as well. Tannins are only just discernible, very silky. Long. Lovely

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• 2012 Carol Shelton Wines Zinfandel Wild Thing

  USA, California, North Coast, Mendocino County

  Quite prune like fruit but also green notes, biscuit, meaty, discernibly different on the nose from the other wines with some sweet spice here but the composition is more in your face. In the mouth grippy, tight tannin immediately impresses with chalky notes, some prune flavours finish slight metallic. Hmm. Nose more different than the palate.

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• 2012 Rancho Zabaco Zinfandel Heritage Vines

  USA, California, Sonoma County

  Medium minus aromas of meat, muted cherry and plum, spice, vanilla, touches of chocolate. In the mouth the wine is juicy, dense, thick, ripe and plummy with alcohol warmth, chocolate and slight sweet spice. Big on the palate but not overdone tannins which are quite fine and quite light. Meh

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• 2007 Ridge Lytton Springs

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley

  Profound, joyous, I did not expect to find such a discernible difference but there it is. Sticks out in this line up like a canines cohonas. This has to be the Ridge Lytton Springs. All the usual stuff - berries, cherries, plums, vanilla, chocolate, spice etc. on the nose...in the mouth the wine is juicier and leaner - tauter almost...like an engine that has been finely tuned. Wonderfully balanced. Gorgeous. superb.

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• 2011 Lowe Family Wines Zinfandel Organic

  Australia, New South Wales, Central Ranges, Mudgee

  Spice, which is less sweet than savoury, red cherry and plum savoury, perhaps touches of red currant as well. In the mouth is structured, the fruit here is less generous, more savoury and austere, a more serious wine but with flavours of rhubarb and red cherry, lovely plum notes and tough chewy tannins and plentiful alcohol warmth. Very good but needs a lot more time.

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• 2010 Scott Harvey Zinfandel Mountain Selection

  USA, California, Sierra Foothills, Amador County

  Black cherry, sweet spice, vanilla, chocolate and slight green notes on the nose. In the mouth the wine is juicy with black cherry over plum, non-intrusive alcohol warmth, rich with chewy tannins, teensy bit out of whack, there is a certain awkwardness, but nice none the less.

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A lovely time had by all, I hope. I had a nice time anyway! We did proper marking sheets for the wines as well. My favourite by a country mile was the Ridge LS 07. Jeez what a great wine that is. The level on the Ridge LS 06 was a little low considering it's age and it did seem quite lightweight compared to the 07. I do like Zinfandel and it's a pity that we don't get more of it over here.