Wine Reviews from Chuck Hill's Wines of the Week - Zinfandel

Many red wines - and a few whites - benefit from some exposure to air before being enjoyed. In the case of very young wines, it is often useful to pour the wine into a decanter to help it open up and release expanded aromas. Just pulling the cork and letting the bottle stand doesn't do anything in real time. Pouring a glass or two with the attendant sloshing that occurs is often useful. At our last tasting, several wines needed an hour to reveal their quality and depth.

Cathedral Ridge
2007 Zinfandel
Columbia Valley
$24.00

This wine is one reason I offered the above explanation for breathing a wine. Upon first pouring, the wine offered bright fruit aromas and flavors of berry and spice. After an hour's breathing, the nose burst forth with amplified character of black cherry, herbs, spicy blackberry and more. The palate brightened noticeably with rich flavors and a long, tasting finish. Superb with rich pan-fried steak.

Thurston Wolfe
2007 Zinfandel, Howling Wolf
Zephyr Ridge Vineyard
$18.00

Dr. Wade Wolfe's offering also benefited from an hour of air exposure, revealing aromas of rich black cherry, plum and toasty oak. On the palate, tasters were enticed with flavors of berry and cherry, complemented by notes of coffee, anise and a finish of vanilla-laced blackberry.

Troon Vineyard
2007 Zinfandel, Kubli Bench
Applegate Valley
$21.00

Southern Oregon's Applegate Valley excels at producing some of the State's heartiest red wines. Winemaker Herb Quady - along with Team Troon - blended in some Syrah, Cabernet and Merlot to add structure and balance to the ripe, spicy Zinfandel. Look for aromas of spicy black fruits, cherry, tar and leather. The palate is rich with fruit and notes of toasty oak, earth and herbs. Another wonderful food wine.

Zefina Winery
2006 Zinfandel, Estate
Alder Ridge Vineyard
$25.00

Zefina's estate Alder Ridge Vineyard has become a "go-to" source for many Washington wineries looking to add structure and complexity to their blends from other AVAs. Winemaker Rob Chowanietz took advantage of an excellent vintage and crafted a Zinfandel with a panoply of aromas: strawberry, cherry, floral perfume, leather, coffee and spice. Just add meat from the grill and serve.

Pedroncelli Winery
2006 Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley
Pedroni-Bushnell Vd.
$18.00

The Pedroncelli family has been farming and making wine in Sonoma County since 1927. Zinfandel is an integral part of their production, and this example offers the character that has made the winery thrive. One experienced taster paid perhaps the finest complement, "this has the character of old-style California Zin!" Ripe aromas of cherry, raspberry and black pepper lead to a palate of spicy, jammy fruit and a subtle finish of toasty oak.

Bluenose Wines
2006 Zinfandel
Sonoma County
$25.00

Winemaker Paul Brasset pokes fun at his winery name with an illustration of a blue Groucho nose with glasses, though the winery takes its name from a famous schooner in Paul's native Nova Scotia. Paul's Sonoma County Zinfandel offers aromas of peppery berry, cocoa, coffee and herbs. The palate adds anise and plum to the flavors echoed from the nose. Garlicky pan-fried steak was a great match for this bottling.

Rancho Zabaco
2007 Zinfandel, Reserve
Dry Creek Valley
$24.00

This intense and robust wine bursts with aromas of ripe dark cherry, plum and cassis. The palate is earthy and rustic, brimming with black fruits, dark chocolate and toasty oak. A super zinger of a Zinfandel that the winery suggests pairing with Wild Boar Medallions. Chef Ted and I were on a Wild Boar-free diet last week, so we made do with steak. Lamb is a possibility, hmmm...

Three Angels
2007 Primitivo
Columbia Valley, Coyote Canyon Vineyard
$20.00

Winemaker Ed Fus crafted this beauty from the Italian clone of Zinfandel. A ripe and toasty style, look for dried cherry, earthy berry, dusty rose and toasty oak on the nose. The palate is rich and chewy, demanding food from the grill.

Dry Creek Vineyard
2006 Zinfandel, Somers Ranch
Dry Creek Valley
$34.00

When your son comes home for his yearly summer visit from faraway grad school at U.C. Davis, it's time to pull the cork on something special. We all enjoyed the ripe and complex character of DCV's Somer Ranch Zinfandel with a plate of barbecued ribs. The complex nose of ripe cherry, spicy pepper, cinnamon, cardamom and vanilla, leads to a juicy palate of blackberry and subtle oak with a heavenly finish.

Solena Cellars
2004 Zinfandel, Wooldridge Vnyrd
Applegate Valley
$25.00

Laurent Montalieu has a soft spot in heart for Southern Oregon, where once he spent seven vintages at Bridgeview in Cave Junction as winemaker. His Solena Zinfandel hails from Wooldridge Vineyard in the Applegate Valley south of Grants Pass and northeast of Cave Junction. This selection also can use some breathing time to open its nose of earthy black cherry, cassis and herbs. The palate is mellow and shows mature cherry, toasty oak and vanilla.

Forgeron Cellars
2005 Zinfandel
Columbia Valley
$30.00

If you want to talk about wine drinking with food, don't miss an opportunity to share experiences with the French. Their culture embraces food and wine like no other, and Forgeron winemaker Marie-Eve Gilla is passionate about pairing her wines with food. She suggests pepper-crusted pork loin or hearty cassoulet with her 2005 Zinfandel. Look for aromas of blackberry, anise, baking spice and pepper. Flavors of ripe cherry and toasty oak frame the palate and make for a lip-smacking time at the dinner table.

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Last revised: 09/21/2009