Three's A Crowd

Let's get the lame duck out of the way first.

My limited experience with Castle Rock has not given me a favorable impression of the brand. Years ago, I tried their $10 Pinot Noir on a whim. It tasted like grape juice steeped with pine cones. Stemmy, acidic. Bleh. I didn't drink it. Finally, six years later, my patience had grown back. "Cheap Pinot is very hard to make not disgusting," I told myself. "Perhaps they'll do better with a Zin." I was expecting it to be jammy and too sweet, especially at only 13.8%,  but at least drinkable.

No. It smelled hot and tasted insipid. Extremely acidic, with tight, bland fruit. It tasted in no way like a Zinfandel. How could it? How hard do you have to work to suck that much flavor OUT of such a delicious grape? Especially at such a low alcohol content for the varietal. Granted, it was my first ever Mendocino Zin. Perhaps it doesn't ripen in that cool climate - at all. My husband observed that it would be better off called "Rando's Red" than advertised as a Zinfandel. I poured my glass, and the bottle, down the drain. You can skip this one.

Now, the Simi Zinfandel I opened next that night (I wanted Zin with my burger, dammit!) was a significant improvement. For starters, it smelled like a Zin, with aromas of brandied plum, blackberry jam, and spiced rum. It also tasted like a Zin, with a palate that reflected the bouquet, accented with nicely balanced acidity, and lovely tannins giving it a satin mouthfeel with a long, spicy finish. Great deal for the $8 I paid on sale. At the regular price of $18, I'd go with Seghesio, St. Francis, or Cline. But for under $10, put this one in your face.

A month later (yeah, I know, I need to update more) I was ready for another Zin. I decided to try out one of the new ones from work that had been winking me in the face - a $10 Old Vine Zinfandel by Four Vines (California, 2008, 14.6%). Violet-red in the glass, it smelled of bright grenadine and red cherry. A promising Zin-like aroma (I swear, that Castle Rock traumatized me). The palate was richly fruit forward without being sweet, if not terribly complex. Though it did have a nice sort of dark, musty finish of mushroom and oak. Not bad. Not great. But not bad.

Of course, that being said, we did drink the whole bottle, which doesn't always happen. Its lack of oomph, rather than making it boring, just made it a highly drinkable background food wine. I don't think I'd buy it again - in the same price range the Bogle Old Vine Zinfandel is far better - but I don't regret buying it, or opening it. It was nice. And might even make a good starter Zin for someone accustomed to more traditional varietals.

Put it ZIN your face. Get it? ZIN your face?

I have been a very busy bee this summer, and I fear I have been neglecting the blog. I have not, however, been neglecting to drink, and the pile of notes on my desk reaches ever skyward. Someday, perhaps, I'll write about them for you, but today, you just get a quick post about a killer Zin.

I love Cline. There, I said it. I love everything of theirs I've ever tasted (which is quite a lot) and they are exceptionally good at Zinfandel. Even their cheap little jam-bomb is good if you're into that sort of thing. But the Sonoma Zinfandel is a couple rungs up the ladder.

A dark brick red in the glass, the nose is redolent with intense aromas of blackberries, rum, brandy-soaked plums and spicy oak.

The palate, in a word, is GORGEOUS. In fact that single word, in all caps and everything, was the first thing I wrote in my notes, as it was my overwhelming impression of this wine. Perfect acid balance. Perfect everything. Bright fruit up front and a finish like an ancient spice cabinet: cinnamon, clove, oak, pepper, anise, orange peel. Yum.

The best part of this baby was the price. It's normally about $18, and it's worth it. It actually reminded me a lot of another one of my favorite $18 bottles, the Seghesio Sonoma Zinfandel. But I found it on sale for $10. Yoink. If you do, as well, I advise you to do what I did: buy at least six bottles and put it in your face.


Date: 6/13/11
Wine: Cline Sonoma Zinfandel
Grapes: Zinfandel
Vintage: 2006
ABV: 15%
Origin: Sonoma, Californa
Color: dark brick with nice clarity
Nose: blackberry, rum, spicey oak, plum
Palate: bright fruit and very spicy. cinnamon, clove, oak, pepper, anise, orange peel
Price: $10

Vino Barato y Fresco

Summer has arrived - the domain of cheap reds to wash down cheap frozen burgers cooked on cheap grills by the riverside. At least, that's what it means in my world. I came across a couple such values last month, both by global negociant "R" Wines, and both from Australia.

Luchador Shiraz was featured on a display boasting 92 points. Given the silly label, I had to try it to believe it. When I opened the Stelvin closure and poured I was greeted by a wine that was a very dark brick red in the glass. The bright, lively nose offered up intense aromas of cherry pie, grenadine, and allspice. Truth in advertising: the flavor upon sipping was an explosion of rich, juicy plum, succulent, ripe cherry, and spicy oak on the finish. Laid-back tannins and nice acid throughout.

92 points? I don't know. I also don't know about the $14.99 original price tag. Definitely a lot at that price range I'd rather drink (like the Tamarack Cellars Firehouse Red, for instance.) But for the mere $6.99 I got it for? Put it in your face!

Date: 4/6/11
Wine: "R" Wines Luchador Shiraz

Grapes: Shiraz
Vintage: 2007
ABV: 14.5%
Origin: South Australia

Color: very dark brick
Nose: cherry, grenadine, oak
Palate: rich plum, cherry, spicy oak, nice acid
Price: $7

I bought the Marquis Phillips Grenache off the same display. At the time, I was too distracted by the label to  notice the ABV until I got home. SIXTEEN PERCENT. Seriously. I'm gonna say that again in case you weren't paying attention: this Grenache is sixteen percent alcohol.

I've heard of this, I've just never actually seen one. At that range, I expected it to be pretty dry, but surprisingly, it wasn't. It showed a clear ruby in the glass with red fruit and clove aromas. The palate was smooth and straight forward. Not dry, but certainly not sweet.

The flavor profile wasn't bad, but it wasn't terribly exciting either. Just some plum, cherry, and raspberry, with a dusky, earthy undertone to the finish. The heat from the alcohol was well-integrated and significantly less noticeable than I presumed. Definitely not worth $13, but again, I got on sale for $7, which made it decent. I do think the mild, fruity flavors, silky texture and high alcohol content make it an IDEAL choice for home-made sangria. If you're into that sort of thing. Me, I'm lazy and hooked on this stuff.

Date: 4/8/11
Wine: "R" Wines Marquis Phillips Grenache

Grapes: Grenache
Vintage: 2008
ABV: 16%
Origin: MacLaren Vale,  Australia

Color: clear ruby red
Nose: cherry, plum, grenadine, spice
Palate: same. heat less noticeable than I thought.
Price: $7