March 5, 2022 - Nose was quite shy early on. Dense, dark fruit on the palate. After a couple hours the nose opens up with some blackberry / black cherry, and maybe a bit of peppercorn. My last bottle, and I think I liked this one the least (though it was still enjoyable). Just didn't seem like there was much there.
December 8, 2021 - No new oak -- and much better for it. Loaded with Zin character. The berries really come across, esp blueberry, black raspberry, and damson plum. Even the color is decent despite the absence of Petite Sirah or Alicante Bouschet or Carignane normally blended in to add depth to color and structure. Am I also tasting some basil, or something smacking of garrigue?
September 5, 2021 - One off purchase (either $31.99 or $32.99) from the big box wine store about a year ago. Crazy aromatic on the nose, with red raspberries and slightly lesser notes of mixed brambleberries, red cherries, plums and red currants, earthy minerality, black pepper, bay leaf, anise, dark florals, forest spice and eucalyptus, with similar notes on the palate and just a touch of saline on the end. Deep crimson, medium bodied, thick legs. Medium+ acidity, medium tannins, just a touch of heat on the tail. Very complex (for a zin), good persistence and intensity. Although zin ranks closer to the bottom than top of my varietal preferences, I realized a bit over a year ago I had zero in my collection and decided I needed at least a few, especially as a 13 year ZAP volunteer, and when I saw this bottling, which I'd not had although I'd had numerous syrahs (uniformly of high quality) from this winery, I decided to give it a shot. Definitely toward the elegant and subtle, as opposed to the powerful, end of the zin spectrum and fairly light on its feet for a wine with 15.2% abv, this wine came out of the bottle very drinkable, although I gave it a further 90 minutes of air, and it has stayed constant and solid over 4 days. As winej points out, this wine wouldn't even obviously out itself as a zin--even the aspects like higher alcohol, the touch of heat and sweetness are less than most of its zin brethren--drinking to me as something closer to a cross between an Aussie Shiraz and a Gigondas. The hardiness over 4 days and solid structure makes me think that there's lots of stuffing in this wine, and if the fruit can hold up, and it's pretty vibrant while still quite fresh, while the alcohol and sweetness integrates, this could go from an excellent Zin to an excellent wine, full stop; under any circumstances, the CT drinking window seems far too brief. A real winner with both both the end of the pork tenderloin and figs and lamb shanks (which qualifies as a month's worth of carnivorizing around here). Very worthy peer of the really good bottlings from Turley, Chase, Limerick Lane, Bedrock and Carlisle, and at what I paid, right there with the Green & Red Chiles Mill Zin in the sfwl value HoF. Another winner from my favorite underrated vintage. Well done, Ms. Meredith! 92+ NB: And just so you know and have something to talk about at your next cocktail party, Tribidrag is the name of the Croatian grape which is genetically identical to zinfadel and primitivo.
June 4, 2021 - Cherry and menthol on the nose. On the palate, black cherry, plum, and notes of cocoa and earth on the medium to long finish, with good acidity. This was a good value at about $35.
October 28, 2020 - Intoxicating spicy, fruity nose with a hint of aniseed. Rich, vibrant palate of blackberry, black cherry and peppery flavours. I expected some hot alcohol given the % but it’s superbly well integrated. Aromatic and full of depth from first pour, great with a robust/hearty sausage and potato dish.
August 28, 2020 - This wine just keeps getting better with age. Very sturdy, well balanced, and well rounded.
August 23, 2020 - Medium red color, interesting nose with menthol/mint and plums. Mellow first impression in the mouth; I highly doubt that I would peg this as Zin in a blind tasting as it does not have strong primary fruit flavors that I often associate with Zin. As some have noted, this is more Old World take. Anyway I liked it for the balance and long finish. Curious how it will pair with my teriyaki flank steak in a few hours.
May 25, 2020 - Needs more time. A very well made wine.
January 17, 2020 - I don’t drink much Zinfandel unless Fred Scherrer makes it with his old world sensibility. This is Zinfandel interpreted by Lagier Meredith and it is sensational. It has lift and plums, black pepper, and bramble with a deliciously long finish.
December 28, 2019 - Very nicely balanced, classic Zinfandel. Medium, opaque purple in color. Ripe plum, raisin and alcohol on the nose. Lots of black fruit...black raspberry and cassis on the palate with a classic pepper and bramble finish. A strong backbone still speaks to some additional longevity but this is terrific now.