My first and only bottle, so I can't do a comparative analysis like some recent reviews, but for me this is a solid wine currently drinking well. Well-integrated blackberry, licorice, and clove with nice tannins. Paired well with BBQ pork ribs.
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Received this bottle a few weeks prior to this note in a holiday sale. This bottle was in the gamblers choice 6-pack. Briefly decanted in a Grassl Carafe and consumed out of Grassl Liberte stem. The wine was consumed at 55 degrees.
The wine is a darker purple. The palate was of bright, ripe cherries, slight earthiness and minerality. There is good acidity, medium(-) tannins with a medium(+) finish. The wine was beautifully concentrated and on the fuller body side for a Zinfandel. However, there was a 1/3 of a bottle stored overnight in a Eurocave Winebar 2.0 and the wine lost a step on day 2.
This bottle was a joy to drink!
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Dark, inky color with some cloudiness. Dark fruit, allspice and a whiff of alcohol on the nose. Juicy blackberry and strawberry notes on the palate. Others have said this might be fading; I actually think it’s just in a slightly awkward phase right now. If I had more, I wouldn’t be in a huge hurry to drink.
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Our last bottle of this was over a year ago and, sadly, I think this wine has lost a step in the meantime. Still quite enjoyable, and a decent value, but I would drink up in the next six months if I had more in the cellar.
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Purple in color. 15% ABV. Sublime nose of dark fruits, anise and pepper. Medium to full bodied with perfect acidity. Packed with lush, rich fruits. Black cherry, raspberry liqueur, blood orange and roasted herbs on the palate. Nice length on the finish. There is a little bit of funk present here and it is somewhat distracting. Previous bottles definitely showed better. Best over the next 1-2 years.
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While son Morgan's 2015 Bedrock zins seem to be at least a year from peaking, Dad Joel's 2015 zin seems to aleady be fading. Same nose and flavor profile as a bottle about a year ago, but it has lost a little vibrancy and a lot of tannins. Time to drink up.
deep purple/red color, dense and textured nose of blackberries and cola, ginger, on the palate ripe and robust with lots of dark berry fruits, some chalk notes, good long finish, tasty but not as interesting as it could be if there were less focus on extraction.
***+, now and time in hand
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This is in a great place right now. Lively (but certainly not excessive) acidity helps lift the copious red fruits, gliding across the palate and leading to a long, focused finish. Clean and balanced. This is a delight.
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Just an absolutley delicious zin that combines deep, beautiful, pure fruit along with nice structure and just the right amount of acidity. My favorite of Joel's Once & Future offerings (which is saying something as his entire lineup is incredible)
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The nose was almost floral, with all kinds of berries (mostly red, but some darker) and a hint of citrus. Same components on the palate along with a hint of orange peel and just traces of pepper and bramble. Surprisingly smooth and elegant. In fact, since it was paired with pizza, I might actually have preferred something more in-your-face. Perfect balance, and the alcohol was not noticeable. Probably approaching its peak, but no hurry.
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On night one on PnP and with some air, the finish was astringent and overwhelmed the wine. On night two after VinVac with an hour decant and drank over three hours, this was a different wine. Black raspberry, blackberry, good acidity with a hint of bramble.
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Purple in color. 15% ABV. Awesome nose of brambly red and black fruits, citrus and pepper. Full bodied with perfect acidity. Supremely balanced and packed with lush, juicy fruits. Raspberry, boysenberry, blood orange and pepper on the palate. Tremendous length on the finish. Outrageously good Zinfandel from the master himself. Drink over the next 2-3 years.
Deeply satisfying on every level that demonstrates why 111 year old vines are worth saving. Dark garnet in color with nose that is perfumed. As the label correctly notes, black cherry, vanilla, pepper and spice are its inner core. Too bad we are in the middle of a pandemic. A wine to share.
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The Ravenswood Library Wines (M/M Blue Oval's): Courtesy of tlv. Just what you want in a young zin- blue and black fruit, brambleberry and pepper. Peppery dark fruit on the palate. Balanced; not overly hot or raisiny. Excellent.
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Was open for business on the nose with fresh and dried fruits, red berry and damson, citrus, black pepper. The array of fruit is complex. Palate was full and fresh with no tannin but plenty of acid to balance the medium+ texture. Cacao, bitter orange, and anisette flavors. Finish was a bit short and the impact of the wine faded with air. Doesn't feel like it will age and improve, but the freshness and fruit are lovely right now.
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really has gotten better for me the last year. Less rugged and more ready to be enjoyed. I think another year might do it some good but not much more than a year.
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A very satisfying wine. Red berries--raspberry, cherry--on the tip of the tongue but, also, stone fruit--plum. A mid-palate suggestion of anise. Nice refreshing acid, but not to the point of tartness,
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Bright crimson in color. 15% ABV. Brilliant nose of brambly red fruits, peach, anise and pepper. Full bodied with exquisite acidity. Just a cascade of bright, jammy, plush fruits. Cherry liqueur, boysenberry, blood orange and pepper on the palate. Tremendous length on the finish. Simply put, an awesome bottle of Zinfandel. Run, don't walk, to get on the mailing list. Best over the next 2-4 years.
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A strong 92+. Just an incredible zinfandel from the master himself. Wanted to check in on this prior to the next release and I'm really glad that I did. Young but already delicious with brambly purple fruits, acidity, and a very distinct citrus note across the long finish that I typically find more in the Bedrock vineyard (had to check to make sure I opened the right bottle). Very well balanced and 'pure' in every sense of the word. That citrus note really kicked it up a notch and placed it squarely in the top tier of zins that I've tried this year. If you're on the list, dont hesitate to buy this one.
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Black fruits and a touch of cassis on the palate. Handles the alcohol nicely and shows excellent balance. I didn't order the last offering merely because of space, but now I wish I would have.
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Deep ruby, brambly dark fruit shot through with cherry, cedar and spice...juicy acidity balanced by the chunky tannins. Looking forward to the 2016...eventually.
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I suck at describing my experiences with wines in tasting notes, so I seldom bother. However, this wine is everything I seek in Zinfandel. Big fruit without the cloying, candied sensations I get from lower quality, mass produced versions. Not to much Zinfandel pepper. And no in your face alcohol. I was going to pass on my Spring 2018 offering, but caved after opening this bottle.
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Sappy and rich on the palate, yet well balanced by its acidity. The tannins are currently buried, so it's a fun drink, but needs cellar time to shed a little fat, and show more than just its primary fruit. Promising. Does not remind me of the old Ravenswood Telldeschi wines in any way. Seems more like a Bedrock or Carlisle wine. That's not a bad thing, just a thing.
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Overall an enjoyable wine, acidity was higher than expected and a little off balance. Tannins were present as was some fruit but overshadowed by the acid.
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Big in every way. Big juicy fruit- blackberry and boysenberry. Loads of earthy, savory flavors, with firm tannic balance. Really nice, good now, and I suspect even better with time.
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15% abv. Dark ruby, expressive aromatics. On the palate, boysenberry, black cherry, bramble and cassis. Rich, long and deep with a smooth finish. Really nice and will only improve over the next 5-10 years.
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2/20/2024 - Jmrobotics wrote: 89 Points
Ok mid week wine. Still fruity and a little sharp. Expected it to be smoother for being 9 years old.
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10/15/2023 - VinCA Likes this wine: 92 Points
This was drinking very nicely. Soft, yet complex. Very well balanced with med-long finish.
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3/20/2023 - wine-eau Likes this wine: 92 Points
My first and only bottle, so I can't do a comparative analysis like some recent reviews, but for me this is a solid wine currently drinking well. Well-integrated blackberry, licorice, and clove with nice tannins. Paired well with BBQ pork ribs.
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2/21/2023 - thelostverse wrote: 93 Points
POP and pour with cheeseburgers. Black and blue fruits - an excellent pairing Last bottle, but holding nicely. Good value here.
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12/9/2022 - JustBreathe680 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Received this bottle a few weeks prior to this note in a holiday sale. This bottle was in the gamblers choice 6-pack. Briefly decanted in a Grassl Carafe and consumed out of Grassl Liberte stem. The wine was consumed at 55 degrees.
The wine is a darker purple. The palate was of bright, ripe cherries, slight earthiness and minerality. There is good acidity, medium(-) tannins with a medium(+) finish. The wine was beautifully concentrated and on the fuller body side for a Zinfandel. However, there was a 1/3 of a bottle stored overnight in a Eurocave Winebar 2.0 and the wine lost a step on day 2.
This bottle was a joy to drink!
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11/25/2022 - kkleg wrote: 90 Points
Dark, inky color with some cloudiness. Dark fruit, allspice and a whiff of alcohol on the nose. Juicy blackberry and strawberry notes on the palate. Others have said this might be fading; I actually think it’s just in a slightly awkward phase right now. If I had more, I wouldn’t be in a huge hurry to drink.
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10/31/2022 - EMTAME wrote: 91 Points
Our last bottle of this was over a year ago and, sadly, I think this wine has lost a step in the meantime. Still quite enjoyable, and a decent value, but I would drink up in the next six months if I had more in the cellar.
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10/23/2022 - tomlee wrote: 88 Points
Purple in color. 15% ABV. Sublime nose of dark fruits, anise and pepper. Medium to full bodied with perfect acidity. Packed with lush, rich fruits. Black cherry, raspberry liqueur, blood orange and roasted herbs on the palate. Nice length on the finish. There is a little bit of funk present here and it is somewhat distracting. Previous bottles definitely showed better. Best over the next 1-2 years.
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5/30/2022 - Night Train Likes this wine: 89 Points
While son Morgan's 2015 Bedrock zins seem to be at least a year from peaking, Dad Joel's 2015 zin seems to aleady be fading. Same nose and flavor profile as a bottle about a year ago, but it has lost a little vibrancy and a lot of tannins. Time to drink up.
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11/12/2021 - Elpaninaro Likes this wine:
deep purple/red color, dense and textured nose of blackberries and cola, ginger, on the palate ripe and robust with lots of dark berry fruits, some chalk notes, good long finish, tasty but not as interesting as it could be if there were less focus on extraction.
***+, now and time in hand
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9/20/2021 - der Schmecker Likes this wine: 95 Points
I'm a low scorer: this is graded a solid A. Zinfandel doesn't get much/any better than this.
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8/19/2021 - EMTAME wrote: 93 Points
This is in a great place right now. Lively (but certainly not excessive) acidity helps lift the copious red fruits, gliding across the palate and leading to a long, focused finish. Clean and balanced. This is a delight.
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6/20/2021 - RichEB1 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Just an absolutley delicious zin that combines deep, beautiful, pure fruit along with nice structure and just the right amount of acidity. My favorite of Joel's Once & Future offerings (which is saying something as his entire lineup is incredible)
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5/8/2021 - Night Train Likes this wine: 91 Points
The nose was almost floral, with all kinds of berries (mostly red, but some darker) and a hint of citrus. Same components on the palate along with a hint of orange peel and just traces of pepper and bramble. Surprisingly smooth and elegant. In fact, since it was paired with pizza, I might actually have preferred something more in-your-face. Perfect balance, and the alcohol was not noticeable. Probably approaching its peak, but no hurry.
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12/23/2020 - PSUSteve wrote: 92 Points
On night one on PnP and with some air, the finish was astringent and overwhelmed the wine. On night two after VinVac with an hour decant and drank over three hours, this was a different wine. Black raspberry, blackberry, good acidity with a hint of bramble.
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7/24/2020 - tomlee wrote: 94 Points
Purple in color. 15% ABV. Awesome nose of brambly red and black fruits, citrus and pepper. Full bodied with perfect acidity. Supremely balanced and packed with lush, juicy fruits. Raspberry, boysenberry, blood orange and pepper on the palate. Tremendous length on the finish. Outrageously good Zinfandel from the master himself. Drink over the next 2-3 years.
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7/6/2020 - gmbdds wrote: 91 Points
Vibrant, ripe and fresh berry fruit. Savory edged and very tasty.
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5/7/2020 - efc wrote: 92 Points
Deeply satisfying on every level that demonstrates why 111 year old vines are worth saving. Dark garnet in color with nose that is perfumed. As the label correctly notes, black cherry, vanilla, pepper and spice are its inner core. Too bad we are in the middle of a pandemic. A wine to share.
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2/29/2020 - AllRed wrote: 90 Points
The Ravenswood Library Wines (M/M Blue Oval's): Courtesy of tlv. Just what you want in a young zin- blue and black fruit, brambleberry and pepper. Peppery dark fruit on the palate. Balanced; not overly hot or raisiny. Excellent.
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12/31/2019 - ex-sommelier Likes this wine:
Was open for business on the nose with fresh and dried fruits, red berry and damson, citrus, black pepper. The array of fruit is complex. Palate was full and fresh with no tannin but plenty of acid to balance the medium+ texture. Cacao, bitter orange, and anisette flavors. Finish was a bit short and the impact of the wine faded with air. Doesn't feel like it will age and improve, but the freshness and fruit are lovely right now.
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9/21/2019 - mdahar wrote: 91 Points
old school very acid driven
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6/8/2019 - jstrovel@gmail.com Likes this wine: 92 Points
really has gotten better for me the last year. Less rugged and more ready to be enjoyed. I think another year might do it some good but not much more than a year.
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6/5/2019 - EMark Likes this wine:
A very satisfying wine. Red berries--raspberry, cherry--on the tip of the tongue but, also, stone fruit--plum. A mid-palate suggestion of anise. Nice refreshing acid, but not to the point of tartness,
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6/3/2019 - tomlee wrote: 94 Points
Bright crimson in color. 15% ABV. Brilliant nose of brambly red fruits, peach, anise and pepper. Full bodied with exquisite acidity. Just a cascade of bright, jammy, plush fruits. Cherry liqueur, boysenberry, blood orange and pepper on the palate. Tremendous length on the finish. Simply put, an awesome bottle of Zinfandel. Run, don't walk, to get on the mailing list. Best over the next 2-4 years.
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3/10/2019 - RichEB1 Likes this wine: 92 Points
A strong 92+. Just an incredible zinfandel from the master himself. Wanted to check in on this prior to the next release and I'm really glad that I did. Young but already delicious with brambly purple fruits, acidity, and a very distinct citrus note across the long finish that I typically find more in the Bedrock vineyard (had to check to make sure I opened the right bottle). Very well balanced and 'pure' in every sense of the word. That citrus note really kicked it up a notch and placed it squarely in the top tier of zins that I've tried this year. If you're on the list, dont hesitate to buy this one.
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2/23/2019 - jstrovel@gmail.com Likes this wine: 91 Points
improved significantly since last tasted.
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1/22/2019 - thelostverse wrote: 93 Points
Black fruits and a touch of cassis on the palate. Handles the alcohol nicely and shows excellent balance. I didn't order the last offering merely because of space, but now I wish I would have.
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1/13/2019 - zinsidious Likes this wine: 90 Points
Deep ruby, brambly dark fruit shot through with cherry, cedar and spice...juicy acidity balanced by the chunky tannins. Looking forward to the 2016...eventually.
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10/4/2018 - mgstull Likes this wine: 88 Points
Juicy and bright with cherry, rhubarb, and bramble.
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5/7/2018 - Bakerbd Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark, bramble fruits. Rich, but well balanced
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3/31/2018 - Hypnos1 Likes this wine: 94 Points
I suck at describing my experiences with wines in tasting notes, so I seldom bother. However, this wine is everything I seek in Zinfandel. Big fruit without the cloying, candied sensations I get from lower quality, mass produced versions. Not to much Zinfandel pepper. And no in your face alcohol. I was going to pass on my Spring 2018 offering, but caved after opening this bottle.
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2/20/2018 - Rieslingfan wrote:
Sappy and rich on the palate, yet well balanced by its acidity. The tannins are currently buried, so it's a fun drink, but needs cellar time to shed a little fat, and show more than just its primary fruit. Promising. Does not remind me of the old Ravenswood Telldeschi wines in any way. Seems more like a Bedrock or Carlisle wine. That's not a bad thing, just a thing.
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1/6/2018 - jjschneider wrote: 90 Points
Overall an enjoyable wine, acidity was higher than expected and a little off balance. Tannins were present as was some fruit but overshadowed by the acid.
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10/29/2017 - Mike Dildine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Outstanding!
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3/19/2017 - mjf@ulkner wrote: 91 Points
Big in every way. Big juicy fruit- blackberry and boysenberry. Loads of earthy, savory flavors, with firm tannic balance. Really nice, good now, and I suspect even better with time.
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3/16/2017 - CabIsKing wrote: 92 Points
Nose of black cherries, spice and dust. Very bold but still smooth with a long finish. Should only get better.
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2/28/2017 - Mrbuzz Likes this wine:
juicy goodness!
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2/8/2017 - Mike Dildine Likes this wine: 93 Points
15% abv. Dark ruby, expressive aromatics. On the palate, boysenberry, black cherry, bramble and cassis. Rich, long and deep with a smooth finish. Really nice and will only improve over the next 5-10 years.
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