WINES
OF
THE WEEK

By Chuck Hill

About Chuck
 

Wines of the Week
Published September 2, 2010

The Power of Zinfandel
By Chuck Hill
Part 3 (See Part 1) (See Part 2)

       A barrel broker from a famous French cooperage once told me, “Folks say because of our barrels, many wines are over-oaked.  ‘Not so,’ I reply.  ‘We prefer to think of our barrels as being under-wined.’” 

       There is a surprising amount of truth in this statement and it is something to ponder as you sniff and sip your expensive red wine acquisitions.  Many of the Zinfandels in this year’s reviews offer plenty of toasty oak… most have rich fruit to match.

Sineann
2008 Old Vine Zinfandel, Pines Vineyard
Columbia Valley AVA
$39.00

Peter Rosback is the hardest-working man in the Northwest wine industry.  He produces wines from all around the Northwest – both Pinot Noir AND warm climate reds AND selected whites.  He makes selected bottlings from California and New Zealand.  He uses glass corks on all his wines – more expensive, but infinitely reliable.  The 2008 Old Vine Zin comes from the legendary Pines Vineyard near The Dalles.  Look for rich aromas of black cherry, cassis, and dark fruits with notes of citrus, vanilla and toast.  The palate is lengthy and well balanced with cherry and plum flavors wrapped in spicy, toasty oak.

Angel Vine
2008 Zinfandel, Les Collines Vineyard
Walla Walla Valley
$22.00

Ed Fus completed his circumnavigation of Northwest Zinography by crafting a wine from famed Walla Walla vineyard, Les Collines (the hills).  Intense aromas of rich blueberry separate this wine from the other Angel Vine bottlings.  Notes of vanilla, blackberry and toasty oak add to the interest.  The palate is lean and complex with ripe berry and cherry flavors and a firm finish that pairs well with meats from the grill.

Forgeron
2006 Zinfandel
Columbia Valley
$30.00

So this is what I was talking about in the introduction - all American oak and 75% new barrels used in aging.  There are plenty of toasty, coconutty, caramelly, spicy, peppery notes in both aroma and flavors… from the oak.  BUT, there are also lip-smacking black cherry, blackberry, plummy, ripe fig, raisiny contributions.  Full tilt wines require full tilt foods, and winemaker Marie-Eve Gilla suggests braised lamb shanks or duck with a balsamic reduction followed by classic cherry clafouti (a baked French dessert).  Set the table, I’m on my way.

The Federalist
2007 Zinfandel
Dry Creek Valley
$25.00

This bottling from the Terlato Wine Group shows amazing complexity coming from vines only four and five years old.  Toasty oak aromas wrap around a core of ripe berry and vanilla.  The palate is firm but friendly with cran-cherry flavors, berry, toast, vanilla and caramel.  A political statement might be inferred from the name, and with November 2^nd looming…hmmmm.

Fetzer Vineyards
2008 Zinfandel
California
$12.00

I have been drinking Fetzer wines for more than 30 years.  I have visited the winery in Hopland, Mendocino County.  I will state here and now that they make some of the best value varietal bottlings in the country.  If you want a juicy, fruit-forward Zin, this could be the wine for you.  Raspberry, straw-cran-cherry, caramel and roasted nuts, hints of vanilla and clove on the finish.

Alexander Valley Vineyards
2006 Redemption Zinfandel
Dry Creek Valley
$21.00

This Alexander Valley winery found it just too tempting to make a Zinfandel from grapes grown in the Dry Creek Valley, 12 miles to the west.  Dry Creek Zins tend to be bigger and bolder than most from the Alexander Valley.  Look for aromas and flavors of blackberry, plum, pepper, vanilla and toasty cran-cherry.  Winery foodies suggest flank steak bathed in an Asian-inspired marinade and cooked on the grill.

Troon Vineyard
2008 Zinfandel, Reserve
Applegate Valley
$60.00

Here is another wine with lots of new oak that orients its compass to a slightly different heading.  Sometimes oak can marry with fruit to produce impressions of dark chocolate, coffee, tobacco and roasted nuts.   If you have time to linger over this tasty Zin, you can find all these as well as dark plum, ripe black cherry, vanilla and firm tannins.  See above for suggestion of braised lamb shank, duck or flank steak.

Cline Cellars
2008 Zinfandel, Ancient Vines
California
$18.00

Okay, I’ll only tell you this one more time – this is the winery that evolved from a hot tub.  Fred Cline’s maternal grandfather, Valeriano Jacuzzi called this place home, but it was Fred’s idea to study agriculture and start a winery.  The Ancient Vines referred to in the name are 80 to 100 years old, and the fruit they produce give the wine its rich aromas and flavors of ripe blackberry, plum, pepper and spice with notes of cocoa and vanilla.  Add New York steak to the menu.

Angel Vine
2008 Primitivo
Columbia Valley
$20.00

Just the grape name Primitivo (see installment one) makes me want to walk upright and learn to use tools (see the introduction to 2001: A Space Odyssey).  But Ed Fus’ Primitivo is highly civilized, refined and an all-around great food wine.  Aromas of dried cherry, raspberry, and toasty spice yield to a complex palate mingling flavors of cherry, cassis and lean tannins.  How can you serve a wine named “Primitivo” in a fancy, white-tablecloth restaurant?  In a glass, thank you.

Sausal Winery
2007 Zinfandel, Private Reserve
Alexander Valley
$24.00

Sausal Winery celebrates the Italian heritage of the Alexander Valley wine industry with the story of how this family winery came to be: see: www.sausalwinery.com.  The winery’s Private Reserve Zinfandel is produced from dry-farmed 90-year-old vines and is aged for seventeen months in French oak barrels.  Aromas of cran-cherry, brambly berries and roasted meat lead to ripe flavors of the same rustic style that dance with notes of black pepper, caramel and toasty oak.

Dutcher Crossing Winery
2008 Zinfandel, Proprietor's Reserve
Dry Creek Valley
$29.00

At Dutcher Crossing Winery near Healdsburg, proprietor Debra Mathy can almost always be found welcoming visitors with Dutchess, her Golden Lab winery dog.  Among her most popular pours is the 2008 Proprietors Reserve Zinfandel.  Look for ripe red cherry and plum aromas, flavors of smoky black plum, cran-cherry and a toasty vanilla finish.

Murphy-Goode
2007 Liar’s Dice Zinfandel
Sonoma County
$21.00

Liar’s Dice Zin blends wines from both Alexander Valley and Dry Creek Valley, the combination offering ripe black raspberry, currants, cherry and blackberry jam.  Try this rich and fruity  red for your final backyard cookout of the season.  By the way, matey, Liar’s Dice is the game played in Pirate’s of the Caribbean, Dead Man’s Chest where Will Turner plays the ghost for his soul.  No such dire consequences await the wine drinker, although there is a variant of the game involving drinking when you lose…

Kokomo Winery
2007 Zinfandel, Winemaker’s Reserve
Dry Creek Valley
$32.00

Winemaker/owner Erik Miller came west from his home in Kokomo, Indiana after graduating from Purdue University and “traded in the soybeans and cornfields for the brighter skies, rolling hills and vineyards.”  Working his way up from cellar worker, he studied at U.C. Davis and now has his own brand.  This wine is juicy and ripe with aromas and flavors of blueberry, spicy plum, vanilla and toasty oak.  Best with food from the grill.

Boeger Winery 
2007 Zinfandel, Walker Vineyard
El Dorado
$19.00

The Sierra Foothills of California are best known for the place where gold was discovered in 1849, starting the California Gold Rush.  In fact, Boeger Winery is just 15 minutes from the town of Coloma, where the first gold was found by James Marshall.  Zinfandel is a very popular wine in the gold country, and Boeger’s Walker Zin offers a rich and spicy aroma/flavor profile showing cran-cherry, plum and toasty oak.  This full-bodied Zin is great with meats from the grill.

Bogle Vineyards
2008 Zinfandel
Lodi/Amador, CA
$12.00

The Bogle Family has been farming and making wine in the Sacramento River Delta since the 1960s.  The grapes for this wine, however, came from the Sierra Foothills (not the SR Delta) with head-trained vines dating to 80-years-old.  Blackberry and cherry aromas and flavors are complemented by toasty American oak which adds spiciness, vanilla and grip on the palate.  Pour this wine with spicy barbeque, Asian cuisine or pastas with hearty red sauce.