Great with a somewhat greasy meat lover's pizza. Just enough briar and tannins to cut the grease on the palate. Nice balance and a hint of sweetness (more ripeness). I kept waiting for the Howell Mountain pepperiness to announce its presence, but never appeared. Not a bad thing, just expecting it and a no-show. Second night it was even smoother. Not sure much would be gained with additional aging. One bottle left and I expect I will consume it by summer of '16. Who says Zins can't age? This is proof it held up beautifully for 9 year with no degradation I can tell.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Delicious pairing with beef stroganoff. Spices and herbs on the nose, raspberries on the palate. Not over-the-top. Looking forward to my last three bottles over the next couple of years. No reason to hurry to drink up
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Splash decanted and drank over the next three hours. Color is not quite an old-world, orange-rimmed Bordeaux, but it's getting close to that. Brick-red, but still nearly opaque.
Incredible melange of blue and red berries, Middle-Eastern spice, with a little pepper on top.
Weak Zins become mediocre Merlots after 5-6 years. Good Zins, like this one, become an incredibly complex, multi-spice, soft-fruit delight that is beyond compare.
This is a spectacular wine, which is now drinking right in its sweet spot. Enjoy!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark purple color. The nose is a blend of plums, prunes, and dark cherry. The palate matches the nose and ther is a touch of heat, but it is not terribly distracting. This is full-bodied with moderate acidity and a moderate finish of dark fruit. Overall, this was not immediately recognizeable as a Zinfandel, but it did have ripe fruit and was easy to drink.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
The fruit for the Howell Mountain Zinfandel is a combination old vine and young vine planted in '78 and '00 respectively. Crimson in color. 16.2% ABV. Concentrated aromas of dark fruits, white pepper and molasses. Big and structured. Textbook Howell Mountain profile. Medium body. Raspberry, plum, licorice and boysenberry on the palate. Dusty tannins on the incredibly long, sweet finish. Drink over the next 1-2 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Your typical Outpost Zin as you could definitely taste the pepper. It was a little past its prime, but surprisingly it still had some good fruit. Very smooth with a decent finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
PnP w/30 min decant. Very deep, dark purple color. Good Zin nose. This is a big wine. Fairly sharp tannins/oak and slightly hot at first but balanced out some w/time. We drank stand alone but would be super with food. Rich, some oak, slight licorice, white pepper. Should hold well for a few years yet. Nothing off.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted thru a strainer and began drinking. Wish I had opened 1-2 hours ago. Brick red, with a hint of purple; beginnings of an orange rim. Red berries with a touch of plum. Huge white pepper in the very long finish. Hope I can hold off drinking long enough to let it open up a little more. This wine is just beginning to mature. Don't be afraid to hold it several more years.
After an hour - I did show some restraint - it softened nicely. Red berries are in the background, with dark fruit and licorice predominating. Less pepper, but still a nice amount. Lamb chops are coming out of the broiler. More to come.
Confirms that lamb and Zin are one of the best food pairings ever. Excellent wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Winter 2012 Wine Dinner (SA - TX): 2012 Winter Wine Dinner: Number in () is number of favorite votes by guests. Number in [] is my ranking from 1(favorite) to 4. All wines were outstanding and this was very much splitting hairs.
Quick Notes: The bottles were popped and left to breath for about 3-4 hours before service. I was again pleasantly surprised by the Outpost. My last bottle was a white, hot, mess. This was everything that Outpost is capable of, just beautiful Howell Mountain fruit. The Carlisle even after 5 hours was still improving and I was able to save a little to try on day 2. Wow!!! It is really good stuff. I’d sit on this for a few years if you have any.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
pretty nice, incredibly balanced given the 16.2% alcohol... initially very little on the nose, took a little time to open up. Nice mix of dark and red brambly fruits, raspberry, blackberry, little bit of pepper (not nearly as much pepper as an 05 I had a year ago though). Pleasantly surprised as I thought it may have ended up being a little too hot or over ripe, but not at all.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This bottle is absolutely singing. This is my last bottle of this beauty and I wish it were my first. I know that I have thought this wine an under achier when I drank the first five bottles. Poor timing on my part if this bottle is any indication. Who would have thunk it?? The wine has a beautiful clear garnet color. the nose is lively and fruit filled. The flavors explode with pepper, essence of zinberry and a little smokey barbecue. Really yummy. For those of you who still have these they are now drinking beautuifully. Shame on those of us who did not exercise the appropriate patience.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
It's been almost a year since our last bottle. The oak and black pepper have integrated leaving a soft dark fruited wine with some chocolate, and almost toffee notes. Pretty ripe and Ann commented on it and the alcohol. Hmmm. Surprisingly I think I enjoyed this more than she did. If I had more I'd drink them near term.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Big bold fruit, this wine is at its peak right now and absolutely wonderful. Full bodied and luscious it has shed all the baby fat and is just pure and delicious. Long finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This was a hot alcohol mess for us. 4 of us could not drink it. Alcohol dominated followed by a strong stewed prune nose and taste. Worst of 4 bottles. Seems like it just turned into a mess over time.Went down the drain. NR.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pop & pour from magnum at dinner party. Deep ruby color. Full mouthfeel. Red berries. Complex spices. A little tight at first, but after 30 minutes was velvet. Blew away an '07 Haynes V. Turley we also had. A great wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nose of ripe blackberries and cinnamon. The palate has put on a ton of weight since release. Full and peppery with baking spices and ripe red fruits. Slightly gritty texture but otherwise great zin.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is really good right now and it almost makes me wish I didn't open it because it will be even better in the future. That being said, this is full of fruit, pepper, nice acidity, and some tannins that need to evolve. Will finish the note later.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark purple color. The nose pumps out ripe, red fruits with some spicy undertones. In the mouth, there is ample fruit with a touch of vanilla and spice. When opened, there was some heat, but with air, the heat disappeared. Structurally, this wine came across as plush and velvety but not flabby. The finish is quite long. Overall, I liked the hedonistic fruit and the soft, rounded feel of this wine. My wife, however, thought it seemed overripe and a little pruney.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Its been a little over a year since we had this last and the time has been good for this wine. Loads of blue and black fruits, and some black pepper. Still a little oak but no where near as much as there was a year ago - its much better integrated. This is a big ripe wine and on the edge for me but I enjoyed it last night. (Drank with Brett and Carol)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
TASTE: purple fruits; alcohol presence is moderately noticeable (labeled at 16.2%, iirc); rather hot in the belly; soft tannins; I see no ageing potential in this wine. This may have been served a bit too warm. I had higher expectations for this wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deep purple with nice legs. The pepper and jam jump out at you. Bought on sale for $25 and this is about the right price for the wine. If I had paid more I would of been disappointed.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
16.2% alcohol. Doesn't really show the alcohol on the nose or palate. Jammy and pretty refined, with excellent focus. A spicy, black-fruited wine that has a remarkable sense of elegance. Not very acidic, so it seems like a short-term drinker, but it is delicious. A-
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
without a doubt, one of the more consistently reliable zins coming out of the valley; however, they seem to be vintage dependent. i can give this wine a shout out, and it remains under $40 in our market. a little heat, some bruttish tannin, chock full of spice and bramble. it works ok for me.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Opened and not decanted. Medium to dark purple color, with a brambly fruit and pepper nose. Classic ripe and briery zinfandel flavors of boysenberry, blackcurrant, herb, black pepper, and oak show on the palate. Just a bit of heat comes in. The flavors are big, but attractive for their persistence.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Lots of dark fruits, black pepper, oak (a little too much for my taste). Fine but abundant tannins and noticible alcohol. Reminded me of a Turley. Ann liked it more than I did. This would probably benefit from another year or two in the cellar. I tasted the last little bit today and it was a little better - more noticible black pepper and a less oak.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nice purple/plum color. Velvety tannins with somewhat rich spice. Dark fruit and chocolate with vanilla and oak. Bold legs and full bodied. Nice cream consistency, very smooth. Nice full body on the palate and the fruits hold up through the finish and lingering spice. Well balanced and structured. Excellent and worth the price.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Big wine. Great, dark purple color to it. Massive nose of dark fruits, spice and petrol. Same goes for the mouth, as it covered the mouth in dark fruit and earth with the alcohal coming through on the finish. For the most part, the heat subsided, but it was always there, lingering in the background. I've loved this bottle before but wasn't enthralled this time around. There were others there who did think this was delicious though.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Delicious, spicy, full bodied, rich black fruit, scents of cranberry, vanilla, sage and coriander, some hints of cracked white pepper too I love this juice, it's one of my favorite Zins around, year after year it competes with Carlisle for my favorite Zin.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I'm not normally one to give a tasting note based on a wine on Day 2 after opening, but this time, that's how it worked out. To my benefit. Yesterday the wine was unexciting: big boysenberry syrup fruit and some tart acidity but reticent on showing anything else. Today, it is showing much better. The boysenberry has been tamed to a more integrated package with some nice white pepper, freshly tanned leather, and brambly forest floor. Hold this wine until 2011 and enjoy a really good, well-balanced Zin that doesn't overwhelm its company at the table.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Much better than the bottle I had about 7 months ago. Deep purple color to it, nose of Pepper along with a ton of dark fruits and some chocolate lying underneath it all. Full bodied wine with the dark fruits and oak really coming through and enveloping the mouth. Excellent long finish with a ton of grip to it. This was very well balanced, fruit, acid and tannin all working together to finish this bottle on a strong note.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A very approachable, food-friendly Zin. Bursts of berries, but well-balanced with an earthiness. Not overpowering, but definitely complex. Changed noticeably as it warmed up over a few hours. We enjoyed it with dinner, despite the food not being an ideal pairing...we had southwestern chicken. The Zin did not totally overwhelm the dinner and actually was complementary to the spices of the dish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I am not having heat issues with this bottle. The nose is touch more sugar-plum and the palate a bit more molasses-like than I remember or prefer, but this is still a complex and delicious full-bodied Zinfandel. My last bottle, alas, as I'd like to know how this goes in the next 1-2 years. I think this will be peaking in 6-18 months.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I liked this. Fruit forward with that "brambly" quality. The wood treatment got on the way though, and added a harsh vanilla woody tannin mid-palate that stopped it from being a great wine. 50+5+12+14+5
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Raspberry liqueur and licorice on the nose. Very interesting wine, dark berries, complex structure. Wasn't as crazy about this as I thought I'd be. A little heat and not enough fruit for me.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nice bottle of zinfandel with a seductive nose. Coffee, chocolate, sweet raspberries and fresh cream dominate the nose. Palate is ultra silky and balanced even when the alcohol clocks in at 16.2%. Really nice wine with decent spice on the finish and a touch of heat present. Great balance and finesse speaks worlds for this zinfandel.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Spicy-sweet Zinfandel glory, with blackberry cream leavened by liquid licorice, fine pepper, cinnamon, chocolate, gingerbread, brown sugar and oregano. Really shining on day 2 but plenty drinkable on day 1. Surely more tannin than most Zin but not an obstacle to me. There was a rather prominent oak explosion right out of the bottle but it has subsided and come into harmony with air. Powerful wine (16+%) but not showing any heat. Great Zinfandel!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
No formal note, but I remember remarking to Carolynn that this was the best '06 Zinfandel I've had. Plenty of fruit (which seems to be missing in a lot of the wines from this vintage) but not so much that it's stewed or raisiny or otherwise over-the-top. Well-balanced, I'd guess this will hold up for 2-3 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Had this for New Years Eve alongside a 2003 Ridge Indepedence School Zin. Although this was good, it had no chance to shine against the that wine. Big nose of Vanilla, Chocolate, cinnamon and blackberries. Full throttle wine, got some petrol with a bunch of "brambly" fruit and a nice long finish. Great structure to this wine. Although a good wine, it was overshadowed by the other Zin.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Concentrated, black rasberry and chocolate curocao poke out from under a heavy load of mountain tannin. A bit angular, but ripe, sweet and dusty. Loaded with acid to counterbalance the fruit, alcohol and extract. Great zin.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This was a great "food" zin. Drank it alongside some Bryan Flannery NY strips. Unlike many of the powerhouse zins, my wife and I found this extremely approachable and did not overpower the dinner.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
8/8/2021 - Hoddick Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nice wine with fruit still present at a good level. Long finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/28/2015 - skinut Likes this wine: 92 Points
Great with a somewhat greasy meat lover's pizza. Just enough briar and tannins to cut the grease on the palate. Nice balance and a hint of sweetness (more ripeness). I kept waiting for the Howell Mountain pepperiness to announce its presence, but never appeared. Not a bad thing, just expecting it and a no-show. Second night it was even smoother. Not sure much would be gained with additional aging. One bottle left and I expect I will consume it by summer of '16. Who says Zins can't age? This is proof it held up beautifully for 9 year with no degradation I can tell.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/20/2015 - mouton45 wrote: 91 Points
Delicious pairing with beef stroganoff. Spices and herbs on the nose, raspberries on the palate. Not over-the-top. Looking forward to my last three bottles over the next couple of years. No reason to hurry to drink up
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/12/2015 - VinoDiver Likes this wine: 92 Points
Crystal Lake - Fall 2015 (CL): 3+ hours of air and drinking wonderfully. Showing no signs of slowing down.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/2/2015 - Ed B wrote: 91 Points
PnP at a dinner party. No detailed notes. Excellent. Well received.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/16/2014 - mouton45 wrote: 90 Points
Went well with rare lamb chops on Thursday's Gourmet Night at the Palace with Cathy and Mariruth. Cathy thought it was a little astringent
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/16/2014 - tomlee wrote: 92 Points
Consistent with note from late last year. Really great bottle of Zinfandel. Drink now as I don't expect this will get any better.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/26/2014 - Ed B wrote: 94 Points
Splash decanted and drank over the next three hours. Color is not quite an old-world, orange-rimmed Bordeaux, but it's getting close to that. Brick-red, but still nearly opaque.
Incredible melange of blue and red berries, Middle-Eastern spice, with a little pepper on top.
Weak Zins become mediocre Merlots after 5-6 years. Good Zins, like this one, become an incredibly complex, multi-spice, soft-fruit delight that is beyond compare.
This is a spectacular wine, which is now drinking right in its sweet spot. Enjoy!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/25/2013 - Meerlust wrote: 88 Points
Dark purple color. The nose is a blend of plums, prunes, and dark cherry. The palate matches the nose and ther is a touch of heat, but it is not terribly distracting. This is full-bodied with moderate acidity and a moderate finish of dark fruit. Overall, this was not immediately recognizeable as a Zinfandel, but it did have ripe fruit and was easy to drink.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/10/2013 - tomlee wrote: 92 Points
The fruit for the Howell Mountain Zinfandel is a combination old vine and young vine planted in '78 and '00 respectively. Crimson in color. 16.2% ABV. Concentrated aromas of dark fruits, white pepper and molasses. Big and structured. Textbook Howell Mountain profile. Medium body. Raspberry, plum, licorice and boysenberry on the palate. Dusty tannins on the incredibly long, sweet finish. Drink over the next 1-2 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/3/2013 - stconner Likes this wine: 88 Points
Your typical Outpost Zin as you could definitely taste the pepper. It was a little past its prime, but surprisingly it still had some good fruit. Very smooth with a decent finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/18/2013 - jrglm wrote: 90 Points
You'd never know this was a Zinfandel.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/3/2013 - Grape_ape wrote:
popped and poured, but only had a glass as it was shared and went fast... brambly red fruit, big but very balanced considering the alcohol level.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/22/2013 - konadog wrote: 91 Points
big blackberry and raspberry notes with some underlying spice, soft vanilla notes on the finish
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/20/2013 - mouton45 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Rich, full bodied, not over the top. Delicious with grilled ribeye
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/14/2013 - Barry Notes Likes this wine: 90 Points
PnP w/30 min decant. Very deep, dark purple color. Good Zin nose. This is a big wine. Fairly sharp tannins/oak and slightly hot at first but balanced out some w/time. We drank stand alone but would be super with food. Rich, some oak, slight licorice, white pepper. Should hold well for a few years yet. Nothing off.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/10/2013 - Dcomon wrote: 90 Points
Ripe berry and a lot of oak. Rich. It's nice
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/17/2012 - ogres3 wrote:
Great nose, great fruit, nice finish. Had with in laws.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/7/2012 - cburgner Likes this wine: 88 Points
Enjoyed at Cafe Italia. Opened 20 minutes before consuming. Tannins were strong during pre food, but tasted very nice with dinner (fet. afredo).
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/29/2012 - Bill in Chicago wrote: 89 Points
Very Good wine, it lack depth and complexity. Little too much oak and not enough grape, earth and flavor.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/16/2012 - Ed B wrote: 94 Points
Decanted thru a strainer and began drinking. Wish I had opened 1-2 hours ago. Brick red, with a hint of purple; beginnings of an orange rim. Red berries with a touch of plum. Huge white pepper in the very long finish. Hope I can hold off drinking long enough to let it open up a little more. This wine is just beginning to mature. Don't be afraid to hold it several more years.
After an hour - I did show some restraint - it softened nicely. Red berries are in the background, with dark fruit and licorice predominating. Less pepper, but still a nice amount. Lamb chops are coming out of the broiler. More to come.
Confirms that lamb and Zin are one of the best food pairings ever. Excellent wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/16/2012 - lynarthur wrote: 92 Points
Wish we had more of these. Smooth, rich zin. Not too hot or tannic.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/20/2012 - VinoDiver wrote:
Winter 2012 Wine Dinner (SA - TX): 2012 Winter Wine Dinner: Number in () is number of favorite votes by guests. Number in [] is my ranking from 1(favorite) to 4. All wines were outstanding and this was very much splitting hairs.
2006 Outpost Zinfandel (4) [1]
2003 Scherrer ‘Old & Mature Vines’ Zinfandel (3) [3]
2005 Turley Ueberroth Vineyard Zinfandel (2) [4]
2009 Carlisle Papera Ranch Zinfandel (1) [2]
Quick Notes:
The bottles were popped and left to breath for about 3-4 hours before service. I was again pleasantly surprised by the Outpost. My last bottle was a white, hot, mess. This was everything that Outpost is capable of, just beautiful Howell Mountain fruit.
The Carlisle even after 5 hours was still improving and I was able to save a little to try on day 2. Wow!!! It is really good stuff. I’d sit on this for a few years if you have any.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/23/2012 - Grape_ape wrote: 90 Points
pretty nice, incredibly balanced given the 16.2% alcohol... initially very little on the nose, took a little time to open up. Nice mix of dark and red brambly fruits, raspberry, blackberry, little bit of pepper (not nearly as much pepper as an 05 I had a year ago though). Pleasantly surprised as I thought it may have ended up being a little too hot or over ripe, but not at all.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/20/2012 - treaganjr wrote: 92 Points
Wow! When you want a fantastic Zin Outpost never lets you down. Great berry and spice on the nose and a mouthful of rich flavors as you drink.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/13/2011 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 94 Points
This bottle is absolutely singing. This is my last bottle of this beauty and I wish it were my first. I know that I have thought this wine an under achier when I drank the first five bottles. Poor timing on my part if this bottle is any indication. Who would have thunk it?? The wine has a beautiful clear garnet color. the nose is lively and fruit filled. The flavors explode with pepper, essence of zinberry and a little smokey barbecue. Really yummy. For those of you who still have these they are now drinking beautuifully. Shame on those of us who did not exercise the appropriate patience.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/24/2011 - Outplaying wrote:
It's been almost a year since our last bottle. The oak and black pepper have integrated leaving a soft dark fruited wine with some chocolate, and almost toffee notes. Pretty ripe and Ann commented on it and the alcohol. Hmmm. Surprisingly I think I enjoyed this more than she did. If I had more I'd drink them near term.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/17/2011 - Vinomarcus wrote: 93 Points
Big bold fruit, this wine is at its peak right now and absolutely wonderful. Full bodied and luscious it has shed all the baby fat and is just pure and delicious. Long finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/14/2011 - babnik Likes this wine: 88 Points
Very nice. Plump juicy blueberry fruit balanced by just a touch of tartness and a bit of pepper on the finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/11/2011 - patwjr wrote: 88 Points
Fruity with light pepper but lost its zip. Compared to bottle I had in May, this one and another in Sept were disappointing. Drink up!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/19/2011 - patwjr wrote: 90 Points
A fruity Zin with light white pepper that is now losing it's backbone. Had a bottle about 4 months ago and this one shows the downside. Drink up!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/5/2011 - fdaner wrote:
This was a hot alcohol mess for us. 4 of us could not drink it. Alcohol dominated followed by a strong stewed prune nose and taste. Worst of 4 bottles. Seems like it just turned into a mess over time.Went down the drain. NR.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/27/2011 - Ed B wrote: 94 Points
Decanted 45 minutes and rebottled to take to party. Deep brick red. Cherries and white pepper. Long, strong finish. Excellent wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/30/2011 - paulmase wrote: 88 Points
Dark fruit, vanilla, spice & a hint too much oak on the nose & palate. Nice zin but overoaked, a bit hot & pricey. 88pts.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/25/2011 - Ed B wrote: 95 Points
Pop & pour from magnum at dinner party. Deep ruby color. Full mouthfeel. Red berries. Complex spices. A little tight at first, but after 30 minutes was velvet. Blew away an '07 Haynes V. Turley we also had. A great wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/6/2011 - Uglypinga wrote:
Nose of ripe blackberries and cinnamon. The palate has put on a ton of weight since release. Full and peppery with baking spices and ripe red fruits. Slightly gritty texture but otherwise great zin.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/30/2011 - patwjr wrote: 92 Points
Everyone loved this Zin. Rich, smooth, robust fruit and some minerality, touch of white pepper. Really liked this 1st bottle. Drink now or hold.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/12/2011 - marka wrote: 90 Points
This is really good right now and it almost makes me wish I didn't open it because it will be even better in the future. That being said, this is full of fruit, pepper, nice acidity, and some tannins that need to evolve. Will finish the note later.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/6/2011 - Meerlust wrote: 90 Points
Dark purple color. The nose pumps out ripe, red fruits with some spicy undertones. In the mouth, there is ample fruit with a touch of vanilla and spice. When opened, there was some heat, but with air, the heat disappeared. Structurally, this wine came across as plush and velvety but not flabby. The finish is quite long. Overall, I liked the hedonistic fruit and the soft, rounded feel of this wine. My wife, however, thought it seemed overripe and a little pruney.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/19/2011 - Mr T wrote:
popped and poured at a friend's house....young and a bit hot....big rich flavors that most liked a lot...too much for me
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/10/2010 - Outplaying wrote:
Its been a little over a year since we had this last and the time has been good for this wine. Loads of blue and black fruits, and some black pepper. Still a little oak but no where near as much as there was a year ago - its much better integrated. This is a big ripe wine and on the edge for me but I enjoyed it last night. (Drank with Brett and Carol)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/9/2010 - grafstrb wrote:
-- tasted a single glass non-blind over 15 min --
NOSE: oaky; pepper; hint of v/a; not complex.
BODY: medium-full bodied; dark purple color.
TASTE: purple fruits; alcohol presence is moderately noticeable (labeled at 16.2%, iirc); rather hot in the belly; soft tannins; I see no ageing potential in this wine. This may have been served a bit too warm. I had higher expectations for this wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/29/2010 - konadog wrote:
intense black fruit, some spice and brambly notes. drinking well 91pts
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/18/2010 - winosis3 wrote: 91 Points
a yummy Zin deep color nice nose
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/25/2010 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 90 Points
Solid zin. Lots of fruit.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/24/2010 - KenYz wrote: 88 Points
Blind tasting among 12 other zins. Good nose, fruit, balance and weight. Medium length. A little over-oaked.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/18/2010 - jaxpaj wrote: 87 Points
Deep purple with nice legs. The pepper and jam jump out at you. Bought on sale for $25 and this is about the right price for the wine. If I had paid more I would of been disappointed.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/9/2010 - 1961Vintage wrote: 93 Points
Jammy and complex at the same time. Terrific Zin!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/21/2010 - Berno wrote: 92 Points
Ripe, jammy, balanced. Went great with ham and sweet potatoes.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/23/2010 - gutt22 wrote:
16.2% alcohol. Doesn't really show the alcohol on the nose or palate. Jammy and pretty refined, with excellent focus. A spicy, black-fruited wine that has a remarkable sense of elegance. Not very acidic, so it seems like a short-term drinker, but it is delicious. A-
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/31/2009 - JonnyB wrote: 89 Points
I found this much more enjoyable and complex than the 2005. Medium-dark in color with a bit of boysenberry and oak, kept opening up all night on NYE
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/14/2009 - kstoddard wrote: 85 Points
Big Red! (Sportsman's): Ruby color. Stewed fruit nose. Cherry and blackberry fruit. Hot on the finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/14/2009 - jeff nowak wrote: 88 Points
without a doubt, one of the more consistently reliable zins coming out of the valley; however, they seem to be vintage dependent. i can give this wine a shout out, and it remains under $40 in our market. a little heat, some bruttish tannin, chock full of spice and bramble. it works ok for me.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/9/2009 - scott davis wrote: 90 Points
Opened and not decanted. Medium to dark purple color, with a brambly fruit and pepper nose. Classic ripe and briery zinfandel flavors of boysenberry, blackcurrant, herb, black pepper, and oak show on the palate. Just a bit of heat comes in. The flavors are big, but attractive for their persistence.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/7/2009 - Outplaying wrote:
Lots of dark fruits, black pepper, oak (a little too much for my taste). Fine but abundant tannins and noticible alcohol. Reminded me of a Turley. Ann liked it more than I did. This would probably benefit from another year or two in the cellar. I tasted the last little bit today and it was a little better - more noticible black pepper and a less oak.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/20/2009 - BillyT wrote: 92 Points
Nice purple/plum color. Velvety tannins with somewhat rich spice. Dark fruit and chocolate with vanilla and oak. Bold legs and full bodied. Nice cream consistency, very smooth. Nice full body on the palate and the fruits hold up through the finish and lingering spice. Well balanced and structured. Excellent and worth the price.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/27/2009 - harrisxlt@gmail.com wrote: 94 Points
great fruit forward zin with a little spice!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/4/2009 - yonster24 wrote:
Big wine. Great, dark purple color to it. Massive nose of dark fruits, spice and petrol. Same goes for the mouth, as it covered the mouth in dark fruit and earth with the alcohal coming through on the finish. For the most part, the heat subsided, but it was always there, lingering in the background. I've loved this bottle before but wasn't enthralled this time around. There were others there who did think this was delicious though.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/23/2009 - Vinomarcus wrote: 92 Points
Delicious, spicy, full bodied, rich black fruit, scents of cranberry, vanilla, sage and coriander, some hints of cracked white pepper too I love this juice, it's one of my favorite Zins around, year after year it competes with Carlisle for my favorite Zin.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/28/2009 - babnik wrote: 90 Points
I'm not normally one to give a tasting note based on a wine on Day 2 after opening, but this time, that's how it worked out. To my benefit. Yesterday the wine was unexciting: big boysenberry syrup fruit and some tart acidity but reticent on showing anything else. Today, it is showing much better. The boysenberry has been tamed to a more integrated package with some nice white pepper, freshly tanned leather, and brambly forest floor. Hold this wine until 2011 and enjoy a really good, well-balanced Zin that doesn't overwhelm its company at the table.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/26/2009 - yonster24 wrote:
Much better than the bottle I had about 7 months ago. Deep purple color to it, nose of Pepper along with a ton of dark fruits and some chocolate lying underneath it all. Full bodied wine with the dark fruits and oak really coming through and enveloping the mouth. Excellent long finish with a ton of grip to it. This was very well balanced, fruit, acid and tannin all working together to finish this bottle on a strong note.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/6/2009 - jtonglet wrote: 91 Points
A very approachable, food-friendly Zin. Bursts of berries, but well-balanced with an earthiness. Not overpowering, but definitely complex. Changed noticeably as it warmed up over a few hours. We enjoyed it with dinner, despite the food not being an ideal pairing...we had southwestern chicken. The Zin did not totally overwhelm the dinner and actually was complementary to the spices of the dish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/25/2009 - silton wrote: 92 Points
I am not having heat issues with this bottle. The nose is touch more sugar-plum and the palate a bit more molasses-like than I remember or prefer, but this is still a complex and delicious full-bodied Zinfandel. My last bottle, alas, as I'd like to know how this goes in the next 1-2 years. I think this will be peaking in 6-18 months.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/12/2009 - psirah wrote: 86 Points
I liked this. Fruit forward with that "brambly" quality. The wood treatment got on the way though, and added a harsh vanilla woody tannin mid-palate that stopped it from being a great wine.
50+5+12+14+5
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/10/2009 - hiltondg wrote: 89 Points
heat with loads of pepper.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/30/2009 - caboychuck wrote:
Raspberry liqueur and licorice on the nose. Very interesting wine, dark berries, complex structure. Wasn't as crazy about this as I thought I'd be. A little heat and not enough fruit for me.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/1/2009 - tyvoodoo wrote: 91 Points
Nice bottle of zinfandel with a seductive nose. Coffee, chocolate, sweet raspberries and fresh cream dominate the nose. Palate is ultra silky and balanced even when the alcohol clocks in at 16.2%. Really nice wine with decent spice on the finish and a touch of heat present. Great balance and finesse speaks worlds for this zinfandel.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/28/2009 - mmurry wrote: 90 Points
Zinfandel, The Other Red Wine! (Farpointe Cellar): The nose had raspberry, cherry, spice, and vanilla. The palate was smooth, and had raspberry, cherry, spice, coffee, and vanilla.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/15/2009 - Badfish wrote: 90 Points
2009 Family Winemakers of California San Diego Tasting (Del Mar Fairgrounds): Plenty of Zin aromas on this one including typical bramble and sweet blackberry. The palate is loaded with fruit such as kirsch and blackberry. Quite succulent and drinking well.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/25/2009 - silton wrote: 93 Points
Spicy-sweet Zinfandel glory, with blackberry cream leavened by liquid licorice, fine pepper, cinnamon, chocolate, gingerbread, brown sugar and oregano. Really shining on day 2 but plenty drinkable on day 1. Surely more tannin than most Zin but not an obstacle to me. There was a rather prominent oak explosion right out of the bottle but it has subsided and come into harmony with air. Powerful wine (16+%) but not showing any heat. Great Zinfandel!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/12/2009 - MarkC wrote: 92 Points
No formal note, but I remember remarking to Carolynn that this was the best '06 Zinfandel I've had. Plenty of fruit (which seems to be missing in a lot of the wines from this vintage) but not so much that it's stewed or raisiny or otherwise over-the-top. Well-balanced, I'd guess this will hold up for 2-3 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/31/2008 - yonster24 wrote: 89 Points
Had this for New Years Eve alongside a 2003 Ridge Indepedence School Zin. Although this was good, it had no chance to shine against the that wine. Big nose of Vanilla, Chocolate, cinnamon and blackberries. Full throttle wine, got some petrol with a bunch of "brambly" fruit and a nice long finish. Great structure to this wine. Although a good wine, it was overshadowed by the other Zin.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/8/2008 - Vinomarcus wrote: 93 Points
Huge ripe fruit, very well structured, spice, marzipan, nutmeg and hints of brown sugar. Yummy as always.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/28/2008 - Jody Smith wrote: 92 Points
Concentrated, black rasberry and chocolate curocao poke out from under a heavy load of mountain tannin. A bit angular, but ripe, sweet and dusty. Loaded with acid to counterbalance the fruit, alcohol and extract. Great zin.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/1/2008 - sosgoodjhu wrote: 90 Points
good spicy, peppery red fruits.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/27/2008 - JOsgood wrote: 90 Points
I'm not a Zinfadel fan but this was really nice. Tons of fruit but not over the top like most Zins.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/1/2008 - MPH wrote: 90 Points
This was a great "food" zin. Drank it alongside some Bryan Flannery NY strips. Unlike many of the powerhouse zins, my wife and I found this extremely approachable and did not overpower the dinner.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/13/2007 - Paul Lin wrote: 90 Points
Outpost Winery (Howel Mountain, CA): Tasted from the barrel. Dense and chewy notes of wild berries, spice, and volcanic soil. Delicious.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment