A decade ago, I drank a lot more Zinfandel.I've changed, but Zinfandel has changed more. No grape has put on more weight in California. It's driven to some degree by nature: Zinfandel ripens unevenly and to get a whole cluster ripe sometimes requires letting some of the grapes get overripe. But it's also driven by the more-extreme-is-better philosophy that infects American cuisine in everything from hot sauce to vegetarianism.
I wasn't sure what to expect when I attended Zintopia in Dry Creek Valley a couple weeks ago. Dry Creek Valley is known for Zin, and has some of the oldest vines in the country. Many farmers have embraced organic or biodynamic farming (that's Lou Preston of Preston Vineyards, a fully integrated organic farm, in the photo.)
As a group the wines were pretty good, though subtlety is not in vogue. Most are over 15% alcohol, and I heard one vintner brag repeatedly that his wine is a good, balanced food wine because it was "only" 14.5%. You guys need to get out more.
That said, it's not fair to judge Zinfandel by the standards of Syrah or Grenache because its natural alcohol level is higher. And that's part of the charm for its fans: when good, Zinfandel is a delightful blast of fruit with some complexity, manageable tannins and a kick like a mule.
I've listed my tasting notes in alphabetical order, but I'll cut to the chase: the '06 Sbragia Gino's Vineyard was amazing, a swoon-worthy wine, that shows that great Zinfandel really can be both full-fruited and balanced. I was also very high on the '07 Mauritson, and there were more than a half-dozen others that I'd be happy to have a bottle of -- albeit more likely while watching the baseball playoffs than with dinner.
Tasting notes
Alderbrook Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel 2007
Ripe blackberry, decent acidity. Jammy on the finish. 88
Amphora Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel 2006
Quite tannic and firm, with blackberry fruit up front and pretty raspberry on the finish. Since it evolves so much in one taste, it would be interesting to see how much a whole bottle evolves. It's 15.4% alcohol, so find out while sharing. 90
Del Carlo Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel 2005
This is the first release from this small winery run by cousins of the famous Teldeschi grape-growing family. There's nice bright cherry fruit, some bramble, and reasonably good balance for a 15.5% alcohol wine. Nice debut; let's see where they go from here. 89
Diablita Sonoma County Zinfandel 2006
Tightly wound wine with raspberry and chile flavors. Nice label, but some will prize it for the 13.9% alcohol alone. 87
Ferrari-Carano Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel 2006
This is less a Zinfandel than an international-style red, but it's a good one, with vibrant cherry fruit and vanilla flavor from 18 months in oak. Includes 12% Petite Sirah and 5% Carignane. 88
Forchini Proprietor's Reserve Estate Grown Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel 2007
Nice dark cherry, blackberry and dark chocolate flavors, with mouthfeel slightly on the syrupy side, probably from letting those grapes hang just a couple days more. 15.5% alcohol. 89
Gustafson Dry Creek Mountain Vineyard Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel 2007
Intense cherry fruit flavor with some herbaceousness from some of the highest-elevation vines in the region. A little hot on the finish. These are young vines from a new winery (FYI: a beautiful place to visit), and it will be interesting to see where they go with this in the future. 88
Hawley Ponzo Vineyard Russian River Valley Zinfandel 2007
A ringer at a Dry Creek festival, this dense, mouthfilling wine has lots of blackberry and vanilla with notes of coffee. If you like wines powerful and intense, you'll like this. 15.1% alcohol 91
Kokomo Mounts Vineyard Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel 2007
Winemaker Erik Miller says the Mounts Vineyard grapes are naturally low in acidity. I wouldn't have believed him if I hadn't tasted his other wines. Persistent, intense boysenberry fruit is the good point; low acidity and slight sweetness are the bad points. This is not a food wine, but if you like boysenberry -- I know I do -- it would be pleasant to drink by itself. 15.1% alcohol. 89
Kokomo Timber Crest Vineyards Winemaker's Reserve Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel 2007
Ripping raspberry flavor with plenty of acidity -- couldn't be more different from Kokomo's other Zin. Perfumey, pretty nose and fine balance meant my eyes bugged out when I saw it was 15.8% alcohol. It's funny, it's a food wine that you can't drink too much of, so maybe it's a food wine for carnivores on a diet. 91
Kokomo Perotti Vineyards Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel 2007
Tangy raspberry and citrusy flavors with notes of cherry. Another good food wine despite the 15.5% alcohol. 90
Mauritson Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel 2007
One of the most interesting wines of the vintage. Lots of raspberry and cherry fruit with notes of anise and white pepper. Complex wine with a long finish. 15.1% alcohol. 92
Mazzoco Smith Orchard Reserve Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel 2007
This wine is almost a main course in itself: peppered lamb with blackberry sauce. It's very peppery with strong smoked meat flavors that cover up the blackberry fruit until the finish. 15.7% alcohol. 91
Mill Creek Beacham Downey Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel 2006
A tannic wine that's one of the few Zinfandels that seems to need cellar time. Cherry and raspberry fruit are tied with chile notes to a strong backbone. Try it in 2011. 14.7% alcohol. 89
Optima Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel 2005
Initial raspberry and chile flavors segue into a savory, smokey note on the somewhat tannic finish. Give it plenty of air and consider another year in the cellar. 14.5% alcohol. 90
Pedroncelli Mother Clone Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel 2007
Rich blackberry fruit with a mouthfeel that starts out slightly syrupy, as all the acidity comes in a rush at the end, like Underdog coming to save the day. 14.7% alcohol. 88
Ridge East Bench Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel 2007
This is the 2nd vintage of a new nationally available Zin from Ridge, made from 7-year-old vines that had been blended into Lytton Springs. It's highly promising: very savory, with smokey meat, black currant and fresh herb notes and a rugged, tannic finish. The wine and the vineyard both need some time to settle down. 15.4% alcohol. 89
Ridge Lytton Springs Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel 2007
Consistently one of the best Zins from the area, and this vintage is no disappointment. A smooth, powerful, yet not over-the-top wine with blackberry fruit, smoked meat notes and some pretty floral aromas. Gotta love that 14.4% alcohol; if Ridge can keep it well under 15%, why can't everybody else? 91
Sbragia Gino's Vineyard Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel 2006 ($28)Winemaker Ed Sbragia's son Adam says, "This is the wine I grew up drinking." I could have called Child Protective Services, but one sip of this and I forgot everything else. This was easily my favorite Zin of the day. A very perfumey, fruity aroma with notes of lavender and raspberry leads into a melange of blackberry and cherry fruit, with excellent balance keeping it food-friendly. If there's such a thing as a Pinot Noir-like Zin, this is it. 94
Talty Estate William Talty Vineyards Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel 2005
Subtle for Zin, with red currant and raspberry flavors that leave you wanting another sip. 91
Talty Estate William Talty Vineyards Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel 2006
Initially tart, with red currant and raspberry flavors that coalesce into pretty raspberry fruit on the finish. 90
Not rated
Bella Lilly Hill Estate Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel 2007
Collier Falls Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel 2005
Dutcher Crossing Maple Vineyard Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel 2007
Everett Ridge Old Vine Zinfandel 2006
Mazzoco Maple Vineyard Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel 2007
Moni Claire Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel 2006
Moni Claire Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel 2007
Mounts Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel 2007
Rued Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel 2006
Wilson Molly's Vineyard Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel 2007
Wilson Sawyer Vineyard Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel 2007
Wilson Carl's Reserve Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel 2007
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