Very nice. 10 years old and still took 3-4 hours to open up. Some seepage on the cork and was very tight almost sour on opening. Decanted and drank over 4 hours. Developed into a very smooth, nicely balanced zin. Fruit very present but not over powering. As to be expected with Rafaneli, not jammy at all. Paired very nicely with Santa Maria rubbed tritip on the grill.
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Dark garnet, plum, raspberry, dark fruit. Nicely balanced. The last of my 2011 bottles. Fruit is fading soon after opening. Drink now as this won’t last.
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Tasted non blind. Opened and served immediately. Followed over about 90 minutes.
Dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of lavender, cassis, black berries and plums. Flavors of boysenberries, black berries and plums. Medium acidity, medium tannin, full bodied. Drink over the short term.
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Again, a kiss of Brettanomyces found in the 2011 Zinfandel...and I’m okay with it. Cherries and earth. Totally refreshing in a world of massive Zins. Really good, but not their best.
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Color - Dark Garnet, beautiful. Nose - Big, Raspberries, Plum, dark berries. Palate - Boysenberry jam, dark cherries, spicy, Balanced wine, with supple well rounded tannins. Right at its peak or just starting the downward slide. Drink this one as soon as it is opened as it falls off quickly once exposed to air and oxygen.
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Decanted an hour and a half. Color is turning reddish brown on the edges. Nose of dark fruit and bananas. Very soft tannins and well-balanced.Dark cherry with a short finish
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Consistent with previous bottle. Very supple and smooth on the palate with good concentration of fruit and oak spice. Tannins are sweet and on the softer side so this is drinking very nice right now and probably will only lose fruit with more age.
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Tasted non blind. Opened and served immediately. Followed over about 3 hours.
Dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of thatch, black berries and plums. Flavors of black raspberries, black berries and black cherries. Medium acidity, medium tannin, medium to full bodied. Drink over the short term.
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Dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of boysenberries and roasted meat. Nice flavors of black berries and black cherries. Medium acidity, medium tannin, full bodied. Drink or hold.
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I recall the nose being dominated by cedar and rosemary, the palate showed much better showing ripe but not jammy dark and some red fruit, bay leaf, bramble, good acid lift, a very satisfying middle (for Zin); a style rarely seen any more and an overall drinkability that made this wine very enjoyable.
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Oddly herbal note that I would have described as sage or rosemary like on opening. Eventually it blew off so I'd recommend a half hour of air before consuming.
Good fruit up front but missing something in the mid-palette, like it was a bit hollow. Not a great Rafanelli and that's to be expected. 11 wasn't a good year. That being said I've had a string of disappointing Zins from them both at home and at Vintage on Fridays. I'm beginning to wonder in a general sense if they are worth the price.
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This wine is everything a California Zin should be. Every time I drink it, regardless of the year, it confirms this is a great Zin from a producer that is masterful at producing Zin! Has plenty of fruit, spice box and pepper. Very enjoyable and not to "hot" with alcohol. Great balance.
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Coravined. Agree with THESTERNOWL from4/2/17 but did not find it as appealing. It fully masked the front end fruit even though the back end spice is still there.
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Popped and poured. I was immediately struck by presence, albeit slight, of brettanomyces which is quite unusual for Rafanelli...in fact I cannot recall ever having found brett in their wines. And while not intended, I was actually quite okay with it as it wasn't overwhelming or rampant. It imparted just a touch of old-world feel that I often get in some of my favorite wines from Bordeaux and the Rhone. The typical rich dark fruit was present, as expected, but it was "kissed" with a bit of funky horse-blanket. Anyway, I found it rather charming. I've had several bottles of the 2011 and had never picked this up before...hmmmmm. Well, I've got one more bottle in the cellar. Curious to see if that one exhibits the same character...whenever I get around to opening it. Drink or Hold.
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Bright red in color. 14.7% ABV. Sensational nose of black fruits, white pepper, cocoa powder and iron. Full bodied with gobs of juicy acidity. Rich and plush. Blackberry liqueur, black cherries, pepper and anise on the palate. The finish is long and spicy with dusty tannins. Just a great Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel. Motivates me to go long on the upcoming release of the '15 version. Drink over the next 2-4 years.
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PNP at a restaurant. Dark garnet, no signs of age. Restrained nose at first, but grew more expressive with time in the glass. Dark fruits and spice. A bit restrained on the palate as well, again picking up complexity and balance with air. Red and dark fruits, good tannic structure, some spice without the pepper in say, a central coast Turley. Long finish. Paired with gnocchi with short ribs ragu, could not have been better. This seems a quiet, more restrained vintage for Rafanelli.
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From 375. At a great point. Still young and fresh; ripe but not overripe fruit balanced by good acidity; developing some complex flavors that I tend to associate with aged Bordeaux. Long finish. Excellent.
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Garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of flowers, red berries and potpourri. Flavors of red berries, strawberries and cherries. Medium acidity, medium tannin, medium to full bodied. Drink or hold.
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Unlike some tasters here, I found this wine delightful. I purchased at release and picked up the wine from the winery. Stored well in my cellar, this wine was still relatively young & fruity. I think it will age very well into a claret like wine but I prefer my zinfandel relatively young.
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This has been stored perfectly and purchased upon release from the winery. A soft zin with no tannins. Black pepper, sweet fruit, raspberry, flowers, herbs. I love it but it will not improve with more time. My last bottle and it is delightful. Cinco de Mayo with turkey and cheese enchiladas.
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I love this wine and make a special effort to get the the beautiful winery every year. But 2011 was a year of many challenges and this zin is fading fast. Still drinkable but sherry aromas and prune flavors coming on fast. Drink up! At this point a good companion for duck.
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Drank over 3 nights. 1. PNP, excellent with steak, great nose, moderate fruit, tannin kind of heavy though. 2. Next night still good but fruit faded 3. OK but still bitter. Not to keep -- tannin will outlive fruit.
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This is a real stunner of a wine. Lots of sweet rich fruit here, for sure, but it is completely reined in by gorgeous medium acidity, perfectly measured oaking and lovely tannins that are dusty, not bitter. The result is a big wine of remarkable elegance. The best Zinfandel I've had, even better than my beloved Ridges. 14.7%, $50.
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My taste has changed but the wine that got me into wine, a 2001 Raff. Zin, never dissapoints. The 2011 was my last bottle but a good one. Maybe I'll seek out more someday, if not, I'll remember it.
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Medium-dark color, stemmy nose. Muted fruit, lacking balance and tart on the finish. From a difficult vintage and not up to the Rafanelli Zin standard. Off bottle? Given the high scores from others, I will try another bottle soon.
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Are we spoiled or what? This Zin was soooo good, from the bouquet, to the lingering on the back of the tongue. I cannot think of anything bad--and it was the last bottle.
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Popped and poured. Dark ruby color with a purple core. Nose of raspberry, cherry, purple florals, sweet spices and a bit of vanilla from the new oak. Darker red fruit on the palate with ripe raspberry and cherry flavors along with some sweet spice and toasted oak. Medium+ acid with medium, fine grained tannins and a smooth finish. Medium+ body. This is a really balanced and well made zin that is drinking great right now.
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Now this is getting back to the Rafanelli I know and love, after a couple vintages that seemed a little more heavy handed. Nice integration of oak, beautiful red, bramble-y fruit, and a not unwelcome kiss of brown sugar on the finish. Classy Zin.
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Deep color, rich and tasty fruit and nose you could die for, is about as accurate a description as you could ask floor. Rafanelli doesn't make much, but their product is excellent.
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Drinking much better than last year because it's no longer over-the-top. Still a beast and will be good for another few years. Very fruity, dense, chewy. Enjoyable.
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My first taste of Rafanelli Zin was last year; in the middle of crush at the winery. Dave Rafanelli was loading merlot grapes on a beautiful remade old Chevy pickup with a forklift. It was a wonder, and one of the best new wines I had ever tasted. The 2011 is a bit disappointing so far, but my expectations were probably too high. Seems a bit thin and brick colored rather than the juicy, berry Zin I loved last year. Will decant the next one. Still a good wine...
This is still too big and silly. Needs more time to settle down. Didn't get the "disjointed" described by another poster, but it is just too over-the-top to be enjoyable right now. Waiting until next year until I open another bottle.
Tasted blind. I didn't like it, although many others in the wine group liked it. This may be the kind of wine that improves with time.
It was big and disjointed. The opposite of elegant. Short finish. Ripe, darker fruits. I was surprised to see it was made by a respected vineyard. If I had a bottle of this I'd hold it for five years to see if the rough edges smooth out.
Hmmm. Not seeing what the rest of you are seeing. Seems like a fairly soft dcv zin not in the usual rafanelli style. Nicely balanced not a fruit bomb but a bit non-descript
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Disappointing for a Rafanelli zin. Modest jam on the nose, and sharp vegetal notes. Two days later, we finished the bottle -- much better, vegetal notes gone. So this was young and needed decanting.
Amazing as usual! Just opened the bottle without a decant. I am planning on decanting the other bottles down the road but am feeling a bit lazy tonight. I bought a case of this from Rafanelli and will be storing a few of these for a couple years. Love this wine!
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1/7/2023 - DWwines Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still excellent. Let breath for an hour before drinking.
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7/30/2021 - NordicNorm Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very nice. 10 years old and still took 3-4 hours to open up. Some seepage on the cork and was very tight almost sour on opening. Decanted and drank over 4 hours. Developed into a very smooth, nicely balanced zin. Fruit very present but not over powering. As to be expected with Rafaneli, not jammy at all. Paired very nicely with Santa Maria rubbed tritip on the grill.
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9/2/2020 - BGK810 wrote: 92 Points
Still drinking beautifully! Dark fruit - cherries, plum, black currant. A cab lovers zin. Long finish.
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7/17/2020 - wirelesswine Likes this wine: 91 Points
prime time right now, this has settled and mellowed but still has some juicy berry fruit.
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3/30/2020 - dann3y Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dark garnet, plum, raspberry, dark fruit. Nicely balanced. The last of my 2011 bottles. Fruit is fading soon after opening. Drink now as this won’t last.
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3/17/2020 - BGK810 wrote: 92 Points
Plum, dark fruit, beautifully integrated oak. 30 second finish. Could be mistaken for a cab. Excellent!
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1/27/2020 - wineismylife wrote: 92 Points
WIML92
Tasted non blind. Opened and served immediately. Followed over about 90 minutes.
Dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of lavender, cassis, black berries and plums. Flavors of boysenberries, black berries and plums. Medium acidity, medium tannin, full bodied. Drink over the short term.
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4/27/2019 - thesternowl Likes this wine: 90 Points
Again, a kiss of Brettanomyces found in the 2011 Zinfandel...and I’m okay with it. Cherries and earth. Totally refreshing in a world of massive Zins. Really good, but not their best.
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3/26/2019 - Jamul Wino Likes this wine: 93 Points
Color - Dark Garnet, beautiful.
Nose - Big, Raspberries, Plum, dark berries.
Palate - Boysenberry jam, dark cherries, spicy, Balanced wine, with supple well rounded tannins. Right at its peak or just starting the downward slide. Drink this one as soon as it is opened as it falls off quickly once exposed to air and oxygen.
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2/9/2019 - wine pup wrote: 91 Points
Big, chocolate and dark cherries
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2/8/2019 - gmat5497 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Outstanding
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1/18/2019 - lewisrise Likes this wine: 90 Points
Decanted an hour and a half. Color is turning reddish brown on the edges. Nose of dark fruit and bananas. Very soft tannins and well-balanced.Dark cherry with a short finish
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11/22/2018 - Gr8penut wrote: 92 Points
Always consistent!
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11/8/2018 - Gr8penut Likes this wine: 91 Points
Always consistent and great!
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10/21/2018 - Rich S Likes this wine: 92 Points
Consistent with previous bottle. Very supple and smooth on the palate with good concentration of fruit and oak spice. Tannins are sweet and on the softer side so this is drinking very nice right now and probably will only lose fruit with more age.
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9/11/2018 - Gr8penut Likes this wine: 92 Points
Always a strong performer! Great pairing with my steak rub!
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7/24/2018 - wehouck Likes this wine: 93 Points
Perfect time to drink this lovely mature Zin.
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7/11/2018 - wineismylife wrote: 92 Points
WIML92
Tasted non blind. Opened and served immediately. Followed over about 3 hours.
Dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of thatch, black berries and plums. Flavors of black raspberries, black berries and black cherries. Medium acidity, medium tannin, medium to full bodied. Drink over the short term.
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6/8/2018 - wineismylife wrote: 92 Points
WIML92
Tasted non blind. Opened and served immediately.
Dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of boysenberries and roasted meat. Nice flavors of black berries and black cherries. Medium acidity, medium tannin, full bodied. Drink or hold.
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4/29/2018 - BoulderWine Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very good. The bottle three years ago must have indeed been an off bottle.
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4/23/2018 - MikeCW wrote: 93 Points
Best Rafanelli Zin I have had in a while. I love 2011 Zins from Dry Creek. Drinking perfectly.
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4/21/2018 - Mark Reinhold Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very enjoyable, and typically Rafanelli, but not thrilling. Past its prime and starting to lose structure as the tannins fade. Drink now.
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11/24/2017 - chmaddux Likes this wine: 93 Points
Fantastic. Many years left
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7/18/2017 - DavioSF Likes this wine: 91 Points
Delicious. Just discovered a case. Awesome Zin. Drinking well and won't get much better.
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7/4/2017 - Rezy13 Likes this wine:
I recall the nose being dominated by cedar and rosemary, the palate showed much better showing ripe but not jammy dark and some red fruit, bay leaf, bramble, good acid lift, a very satisfying middle (for Zin); a style rarely seen any more and an overall drinkability that made this wine very enjoyable.
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6/24/2017 - Barnaby33 wrote:
Oddly herbal note that I would have described as sage or rosemary like on opening. Eventually it blew off so I'd recommend a half hour of air before consuming.
Good fruit up front but missing something in the mid-palette, like it was a bit hollow. Not a great Rafanelli and that's to be expected. 11 wasn't a good year. That being said I've had a string of disappointing Zins from them both at home and at Vintage on Fridays. I'm beginning to wonder in a general sense if they are worth the price.
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4/28/2017 - aaronfeigin Likes this wine: 92 Points
This wine is everything a California Zin should be. Every time I drink it, regardless of the year, it confirms this is a great Zin from a producer that is masterful at producing Zin! Has plenty of fruit, spice box and pepper. Very enjoyable and not to "hot" with alcohol. Great balance.
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4/18/2017 - Tony Poli Likes this wine: 93 Points
Consistent with my last note. If anything, just a little better.
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4/15/2017 - Redteeth wrote:
This vintage is still drinking very nicely with deep bramble berry flavors.
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4/6/2017 - jdpearse wrote: flawed
Coravined. Agree with THESTERNOWL from4/2/17 but did not find it as appealing. It fully masked the front end fruit even though the back end spice is still there.
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4/2/2017 - thesternowl Likes this wine: 91 Points
Popped and poured. I was immediately struck by presence, albeit slight, of brettanomyces which is quite unusual for Rafanelli...in fact I cannot recall ever having found brett in their wines. And while not intended, I was actually quite okay with it as it wasn't overwhelming or rampant. It imparted just a touch of old-world feel that I often get in some of my favorite wines from Bordeaux and the Rhone. The typical rich dark fruit was present, as expected, but it was "kissed" with a bit of funky horse-blanket. Anyway, I found it rather charming. I've had several bottles of the 2011 and had never picked this up before...hmmmmm. Well, I've got one more bottle in the cellar. Curious to see if that one exhibits the same character...whenever I get around to opening it. Drink or Hold.
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3/17/2017 - tomlee wrote: 93 Points
Bright red in color. 14.7% ABV. Sensational nose of black fruits, white pepper, cocoa powder and iron. Full bodied with gobs of juicy acidity. Rich and plush. Blackberry liqueur, black cherries, pepper and anise on the palate. The finish is long and spicy with dusty tannins. Just a great Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel. Motivates me to go long on the upcoming release of the '15 version. Drink over the next 2-4 years.
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2/7/2017 - Tony Poli Likes this wine: 92 Points
PNP at a restaurant. Dark garnet, no signs of age. Restrained nose at first, but grew more expressive with time in the glass. Dark fruits and spice. A bit restrained on the palate as well, again picking up complexity and balance with air. Red and dark fruits, good tannic structure, some spice without the pepper in say, a central coast Turley. Long finish. Paired with gnocchi with short ribs ragu, could not have been better. This seems a quiet, more restrained vintage for Rafanelli.
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12/26/2016 - jerrysvino Likes this wine: 92 Points
Lively nose, full of fruit, cherries, good timing on the drinking window, will last longer but fruit tannins very nice now.
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12/15/2016 - daveste Likes this wine: 92 Points
Splendid zin, peaking. PNP, 1st glass ok but got better and better. Medium tannin, ok acid, excellent fruit and aroma.
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11/26/2016 - jc11 Likes this wine:
From 375. At a great point. Still young and fresh; ripe but not overripe fruit balanced by good acidity; developing some complex flavors that I tend to associate with aged Bordeaux. Long finish. Excellent.
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11/24/2016 - wineismylife wrote: 92 Points
WIML92
Tasted non blind.
Garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of flowers, red berries and potpourri. Flavors of red berries, strawberries and cherries. Medium acidity, medium tannin, medium to full bodied. Drink or hold.
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11/14/2016 - ersmith Likes this wine: 93 Points
Full and fruity. This wine is still improving with age. Excellent right now.
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9/13/2016 - akeenan wrote: 87 Points
I think I waited too long. Little too much alcohol and overall felt tired.
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8/28/2016 - candyman wrote:
was great with BBQ
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8/23/2016 - Sonoma Duck Likes this wine: 92 Points
Unlike some tasters here, I found this wine delightful. I purchased at release and picked up the wine from the winery. Stored well in my cellar, this wine was still relatively young & fruity. I think it will age very well into a claret like wine but I prefer my zinfandel relatively young.
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8/21/2016 - wehouck Likes this wine: 92 Points
Lovely mature Zin, pairs well with spicy hatch chilies. Drink it up!
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5/5/2016 - zinnut Likes this wine: 90 Points
This has been stored perfectly and purchased upon release from the winery. A soft zin with no tannins. Black pepper, sweet fruit, raspberry, flowers, herbs. I love it but it will not improve with more time. My last bottle and it is delightful. Cinco de Mayo with turkey and cheese enchiladas.
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5/2/2016 - BostonWino Likes this wine: 83 Points
I love this wine and make a special effort to get the the beautiful winery every year. But 2011 was a year of many challenges and this zin is fading fast. Still drinkable but sherry aromas and prune flavors coming on fast. Drink up! At this point a good companion for duck.
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4/5/2016 - Sonoma Duck Likes this wine: 91 Points
Really excellent at 4.5 years of age. Highly recommended if the wine has had good storage.
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3/26/2016 - Leomania Likes this wine: 91 Points
Red fruit, cacao, soft tannins. Nice.
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3/26/2016 - akeenan wrote: 83 Points
Better but still aged too long.
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3/26/2016 - akeenan wrote: 82 Points
First bottle
Of two. Past its prime
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3/13/2016 - JWegryn wrote:
P&F Casa Crystal
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1/25/2016 - daveste Likes this wine: 89 Points
Drank over 3 nights. 1. PNP, excellent with steak, great nose, moderate fruit, tannin kind of heavy though. 2. Next night still good but fruit faded 3. OK but still bitter. Not to keep -- tannin will outlive fruit.
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1/22/2016 - Benj Likes this wine: 93 Points
This is a real stunner of a wine. Lots of sweet rich fruit here, for sure, but it is completely reined in by gorgeous medium acidity, perfectly measured oaking and lovely tannins that are dusty, not bitter. The result is a big wine of remarkable elegance. The best Zinfandel I've had, even better than my beloved Ridges. 14.7%, $50.
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12/31/2015 - Drankthewholebottle Likes this wine: 92 Points
Bottle 2 for NYE. Dark purple and thick looking. Good bramble fruit with expected lively minerality.
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12/11/2015 - wehouck Likes this wine: 93 Points
Great Zing on the tongue, especially after dinner. Well matured, very little pepper at this time.
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12/3/2015 - brminz Likes this wine: 92 Points
earthy, smooth
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11/15/2015 - easttide Likes this wine: 92 Points
My taste has changed but the wine that got me into wine, a 2001 Raff. Zin, never dissapoints. The 2011 was my last bottle but a good one. Maybe I'll seek out more someday, if not, I'll remember it.
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11/13/2015 - BoulderWine Does not like this wine: 84 Points
Medium-dark color, stemmy nose. Muted fruit, lacking balance and tart on the finish. From a difficult vintage and not up to the Rafanelli Zin standard. Off bottle? Given the high scores from others, I will try another bottle soon.
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11/8/2015 - Paul from the Oblong Table Likes this wine: 91 Points
Are we spoiled or what? This Zin was soooo good, from the bouquet, to the lingering on the back of the tongue. I cannot think of anything bad--and it was the last bottle.
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11/8/2015 - Rich S Likes this wine: 92 Points
Popped and poured. Dark ruby color with a purple core. Nose of raspberry, cherry, purple florals, sweet spices and a bit of vanilla from the new oak. Darker red fruit on the palate with ripe raspberry and cherry flavors along with some sweet spice and toasted oak. Medium+ acid with medium, fine grained tannins and a smooth finish. Medium+ body. This is a really balanced and well made zin that is drinking great right now.
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10/14/2015 - raiderwes wrote: 92 Points
a great Rafanelli; big and jammy
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9/27/2015 - Paul from the Oblong Table Likes this wine: 90 Points
Great bottle with my post-op Prime Rib.
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8/23/2015 - stubbie999 Likes this wine:
Now this is getting back to the Rafanelli I know and love, after a couple vintages that seemed a little more heavy handed. Nice integration of oak, beautiful red, bramble-y fruit, and a not unwelcome kiss of brown sugar on the finish. Classy Zin.
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8/8/2015 - moxielady wrote: 88 Points
Leather and Brett (barnyard) on the nose, dark fruit and acid on the tongue, slight fizz on finish
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7/11/2015 - Paul from the Oblong Table Likes this wine: 90 Points
Plenty of depth, fruit and color. This is what you come to expect from Rafanelli. Summary; worth the money.
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6/22/2015 - raiderwes wrote: 91 Points
dependable Rafanelli. Drinking well.
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5/4/2015 - oolah wrote:
This is not my favorite vintage. Even now, this wine seems too big, too unbalanced. Prefer the 2012 and the 2010
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4/12/2015 - Paul from the Oblong Table Likes this wine: 91 Points
Deep color, rich and tasty fruit and nose you could die for, is about as accurate a description as you could ask floor. Rafanelli doesn't make much, but their product is excellent.
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3/14/2015 - gmat5497 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Always very nice. Robust
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3/11/2015 - Drankthewholebottle Likes this wine: 92 Points
Seemed better than the last one I tried. It had more of the mineral driven bouncy texture.
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2/23/2015 - dbay Likes this wine: 90 Points
Cherry aromas up front. On the palette, candied cherry, full bodied fruit forward. Baking spices on the finish. Very smooth.
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2/22/2015 - Paul from the Oblong Table Likes this wine: 90 Points
Opened up quickly, and tasted full bodied, full of fruit and lingering taste. It's everything you could expect in this bottle.
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2/22/2015 - redzins Likes this wine: 88 Points
Vibrant dark red color. Black berry and vanilla in the nose. Dark berries, baking spices, and hint of black pepper in the flavors and finish.
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12/5/2014 - Paul from the Oblong Table Likes this wine: 90 Points
Opened immediately. Deep dense with heavy multiple fruit tastings. Will improve numbers with time.
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11/25/2014 - r&j wrote: 93 Points
pnp, excellent.
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10/19/2014 - gmat5497 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Full with nice peppery touch.
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10/1/2014 - Drankthewholebottle Likes this wine: 91 Points
big and bold with a nice acid and mineral streak. Easy to drink and goes well with food.
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8/31/2014 - MitchL wrote: 93 Points
Best one yet
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8/28/2014 - Cmhaggar wrote: 92 Points
Happy birthday to me!
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8/17/2014 - oolah wrote:
Drinking much better than last year because it's no longer over-the-top. Still a beast and will be good for another few years. Very fruity, dense, chewy. Enjoyable.
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6/16/2014 - Drankthewholebottle wrote: 91 Points
Big burly zin. Will mellow a little in a few years.
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5/28/2014 - stubbie999 Likes this wine:
Settling in. No longer so youthfully boisterous, but not yet an adolescent, either. A long way to go yet, but enjoyable and rewarding now.
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5/22/2014 - Charlie.Gail Likes this wine: 92 Points
An absolutely wonderful Zin. Full bodied, but not overly berry, and very smooth on the finish.
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3/16/2014 - oolah wrote:
Still not as good as previous years. Better than most zins but not up to Rafanelli's usual standards.
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2/3/2014 - Charlie.Gail Likes this wine: 92 Points
Consistently one of the best Zins.
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2/1/2014 - gparadise wrote: 93 Points
Wow. Everything a great Zin should be. Bold, spicy, but balanced and delicious.
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12/31/2013 - bowmanbc wrote: 92 Points
hells yes
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11/16/2013 - Stevematherly Likes this wine: 88 Points
My first taste of Rafanelli Zin was last year; in the middle of crush at the winery. Dave Rafanelli was loading merlot grapes on a beautiful remade old Chevy pickup with a forklift. It was a wonder, and one of the best new wines I had ever tasted. The 2011 is a bit disappointing so far, but my expectations were probably too high. Seems a bit thin and brick colored rather than the juicy, berry Zin I loved last year. Will decant the next one. Still a good wine...
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11/3/2013 - oolah wrote:
This is still too big and silly. Needs more time to settle down. Didn't get the "disjointed" described by another poster, but it is just too over-the-top to be enjoyable right now. Waiting until next year until I open another bottle.
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10/11/2013 - stevetimko Does not like this wine:
Tasted blind. I didn't like it, although many others in the wine group liked it. This may be the kind of wine that improves with time.
It was big and disjointed. The opposite of elegant. Short finish. Ripe, darker fruits. I was surprised to see it was made by a respected vineyard. If I had a bottle of this I'd hold it for five years to see if the rough edges smooth out.
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8/20/2013 - Mike Dildine Likes this wine: 92 Points
Classic DCV!
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8/20/2013 - Klensing wrote: 87 Points
Hmmm. Not seeing what the rest of you are seeing. Seems like a fairly soft dcv zin not in the usual rafanelli style. Nicely balanced not a fruit bomb but a bit non-descript
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8/13/2013 - oolah wrote:
Wowee. Needs a bit of mellowing. Better after being open a few hours. Huge and powerful full fruit attack right now.
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7/8/2013 - Mike Dildine wrote: 93 Points
Classic DCV Zin!
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6/27/2013 - daveste Likes this wine: 92 Points
Big fruit, good acid, moderate tannin -- what's not to like? Another winner from Rafanelli.
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6/17/2013 - amanofwords Likes this wine: 90 Points
Disappointing for a Rafanelli zin. Modest jam on the nose, and sharp vegetal notes. Two days later, we finished the bottle -- much better, vegetal notes gone. So this was young and needed decanting.
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6/5/2013 - walkerjfw wrote: 93 Points
At George's Cove in LaJolla. Excellent Zin, rich mouthfeel, fruit forward, spice on the back palate. Drinking great now, may mellow a bit with age
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4/23/2013 - ScottZuehlke Likes this wine: 92 Points
Amazing as usual! Just opened the bottle without a decant. I am planning on decanting the other bottles down the road but am feeling a bit lazy tonight. I bought a case of this from Rafanelli and will be storing a few of these for a couple years. Love this wine!
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4/20/2013 - Mike Dildine Likes this wine: 92 Points
Wonderful Dry Creek Zinfandel
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4/5/2013 - Mike Dildine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Superb balance and focus. An excellent Zinfandel in a restrained, old-school style.
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