2001 Rosenblum Cellars Zinfandel Harris Kratka Vineyard

Community Tasting Notes (9) Avg Score: 90 points

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  6/1/2023 - forceberry wrote: 94 Points

  A blend of Zinfandel (95%), Carignan (3%) and Petite Sirah (2%) from the 7-hectare (17-acre) Harris Kratka Vineyard located at the southern end of Alexander Valley. 15% alcohol.
  
  Quite deep and moderately evolved dark maroon color. The attractive, dark-toned nose feels somewhat brooding with complex, sweetly-fruited aromas of almost jammy dark berries, some cool herbal notes of minty lift, a little bit of juicy black cherry, light evolved notes of meaty character, a hint of wizened blackcurrants and a touch of dried figs. The wine feels quite bold, vibrant and concentrated on the palate with a full body and intense flavors of ripe black cherries and boysenberries, some spicy peppery tones, a little bit of evolved gamey character, light meaty notes of umami, a cool hint of minty lift and a touch of dried figs. I'd like to disagree with the notes on CT that describe the wine as low n acidity, as in our tasting of Rosenblum Zins, it became apparent that the wine is not only surprisingly high in acidity for a Zinfandel, but also quite high in acidity for a Californian red wine. The rather assertive and grippy tannins - along with the high acidity - make the wine feel pretty firm and structured. The finish is ripe, very long and quite grippy with an intense, ripe aftertaste of cherry marmalade, some juicy blackberry and boysenberry tones, a little bit of licorice, light minty nuances, a hint of vanilla oak and a sweet touch of dried figs and blackcurrants. The high alcohol makes the wine end on a slightly warm note.
  
  In our tasting of 13 Rosenblum Cellars Zinfandels it was not only painfully obvious that Harris Kratka Vineyard bottlings were - on average - better than the other single-vineyard bottlings we tasted (Rust Ridge, Carla's Vineyard), but also that this 2001 Harris Kratka Vineyard was probably the best vintage of the vintages we tasted (2001-1994). True to the style of Cali Zin, the wine is juicy, ripe and sweet-toned, but at the same time the wine showed more complexity, intensity and sense of structure than any other wine. Really an excellent effort that is slowly arriving at its plateau of maturity. This is now in an excellent spot. At 32,50€ this has been a bargain.

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  3/26/2006 - eastover wrote:

  At home with Jill. Very good with grilled veal chop. 'Nova loses to Florida and fail to advance to the Final Four.

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  12/1/2005 - twoamps wrote: 90 Points

  typical rosenblum; great mix of spiciness, fruit, and good tannic finish. No ill effects from dip in pool during 2003 fires. Not a fruit bomb by any means, (surprising given the extensded maceration) just a great zin for food.
  

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  9/2/2005 - CP wrote: 88 Points

  Still feels good. Decanted for about two hours. Color is taking on some brownish tones, still very purple, very dark, somewhat cloudy, but really hefty. Aroma is quite perfumy with some violets, some dark chocolate, some cherry. Very subtle on the palate, light dark cherry flavor at first, picks up some fruit intensity mid-palate along with some herb and a bit of a cherry cola feel to it. Light tannins and light texture still lead to the most intense finish I think I 've had out of this wine yet. Still a nice accompaniment to grilled BBQ salmon. Losing some fruitiness, but still very good.

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  7/26/2005 - CP wrote: 89 Points

  Holding up OK. Decanted for about two hours. Reddish color with a brown tint, a bit cloudy, and a bit weighty. More chocolate than anything on the aroma, with a bit of cherry and some perfume. Palate is fruit heavy, fruit punch with some blueberry? SOme chocolate kicks in as the wine just glides over the palate, eventually giving way to coffee bean, spice and a hint of citrus, light tannins. Finish is intense and decent, laced with dark cherry and cedar. A complete winner with BBQ grilled sockeye salmon.

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