1999 Rosenblum Cellars Zinfandel Harris Kratka Vineyard

Community Tasting Notes (2) Avg Score: 89 points

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  6/1/2023 - forceberry wrote: 93 Points

  A blend of Zinfandel (75%) and Carignan (25%) from the 7-hectare (17-acre) Harris Kratka Vineyard located at the southern end of Alexander Valley. 13,6% alcohol.
  
  Deep, moderately evolved and somewhat translucent brick-red color. The open and quite attractive yet not particularly intense nose exudes aromas of strawberries and wizened red plums, some earthy tones, a little bit of savory old oak and tree bark, light cherry tones, a hint of cranberry juice, a touch of gamey meat and a dank whiff of pot. The wine feels ripe, rich and quite firm on the palate with a full body and vibrant, somewhat evolved flavors of wizened cherries, some juicy dark and blueberry juice tones, a little bit of ripe cranberry and strawberry, light meaty notes of umami, a hint of allspice and a faint green-toned touch of minty lift. The moderately high acidity and still pretty firm and grippy tannins lend good sense of structure to the wine. The finish is rich, juicy and quite grippy with an intense, slightly sweet-toned aftertaste of strawberries and red cherries, some sweet cassis tones, a little bit of allspice and peppery character, light plummy nuances, a toasty hint of sweet oak spice and a touch of fresh bilberry.
  
  A very impressive, vibrant and still remarkably structured Zin - although the relatively large dose of Carignan probably aids quite a bit in the cassis tones (not particularly present in other vintages of Rosenblum Harris Kratka) and letting the wine that still quite impressive structure. In a tasting of six Harris Kratka vintages (2001-1994), this was easily among the most impressive vintages, only surpassed by the similarly structure-driven but even more vibrant 2001 vintage and the characterful, subtly funky 1994. Although similarly evolved, this wine did lack that sense of intensity and concentration to some degree - especially in the nose. Yet still, this was a very lovely and wonderfully serious effort for a +20 Zinfandel. The wine might continue to evolve and improve for some years, but it is in a really good spot right now and doesn't really require any additional aging. At 32,50€, this is an excellent purchase.

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  1/1/2002 - joshwoodward wrote: 85 Points

  Blackberry, more acid. Chocolate. 13.6%. Long.

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