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By Chuck Hill
Pinot Noir & Salmon
Wines of the Week
Chuck's Wine Reviews
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Wines of the Week
Rainy
Day Zins
At this point, my
dreams of a Seattle Indian Summer have drizzled down the drain with a
brisk morning shower. So what am I to do? How about getting a nice
bottle of Zinfandel and grilling up a steak (under the patio awning)?
Last week, we covered almost all of the readily available Zins
from the Northwest, so this article highlights some of the best
bottlings from California.
Forgeron Cellars
The grapes for this delicious wine came from three different Washington AVAs: Horse Heaven Hills' Alder Ridge, Wahluke Slope's Clifton Vineyard and the Walla Walla Valley's Les Collines. Each vineyard contributed different characters to the finished wine. The nose offers intense blackberry, anise, spice and notes of toasty oak. The palate adds ripe blueberry to the mix along with hints of black cherry and floral perfume. Great with grilled meats or seasoned pork.
Murphy Goode This a mouthful of chewy, brambly Zin with a huge blackberry nose, toasty-smoky berry palate and ample tannins to tame even the most well-marbled steak. The winery suggests barbecued baby back ribs, yumm!
The Trentdue family established their Alexander Valley Estate in the 1960s and expanded both vineyard plantings and wine production over the last 40+ years. La Storia (Italian for history) is the label for Trentadue reserve wines. This spectacular Zin offers complex aromas of dusty cherry, peach, cedar and vanilla, with hints of orange blossom and spice. The palate is rich with flavors of blackberry, cherry, tobacco and toasty oak. A superb example of old style Zin quality that is worth seeking out.
Quivira This tasty Zin offers much of what has made the Dry Creek Valley famous for delicious Zinfandel. Bramble and plum aromas mingle with black pepper and hints of oak on the nose. The palate is medium bodied with flavors of blackberry, cassis, cedar and anise. A very nice offering for lighter meat dishes or just sipping while you watch the rain fall.
Ravenswood Humming the old Creedence Clearwater tune of the same name (Lodi), I sniffed and slurped this voluptuous Zinfandel with steak and good friends. Brambly berry, blueberry, cedar and vanilla on the nose, lead to to a ripe palate with added flavors of toasty oak and hints of pomegranate. A nice long finish massages chewy bites of rich steak all the way down.
Ferrari-Carano I don’t think Creedence sung any songs about Dry Creek, but perhaps they should have. Aromas of smoky blueberry, coffee, blackberry and baking spice are enticing for Zin lovers. The palate offers berry and plum flavors with notes of butterscotch, cola and silky tannins. To me, this is a sippin’ Zin that has complexity to savor with a selection of farmhouse cheeses.
Pedroncelli
This vintage is no longer available, but look for the next release soon. This wine includes fruit from vineyards planted between 50 and 100 years ago. Old, head-pruned vines in the Dry Creek Valley are carefully tended to produce some very tasty and complex fruit. Look for aromas of boysenberry, blackberry jam, white pepper, coffee and vanilla. The palate is rich with berry flavors and a nice finish of toasty oak. You will hear the grill calling to you...
The winery suggests serving this wine with grilled game, and I heartily agree. Aromas of smoky plum, dried cherry, tobacco and coffee lead to a palate rich in smoky cherry flavors and hints of Lapsang Souchong tea. A great value in California Zinfandel from the creative team headed by Don Sebastiani.
Edmeades
The winery suggests you drink this “dark, brooding beast of a wine on a wild, dark night when the moon is full.” Look for ripe aromas of raspberry, cassis and creamy vanilla oak. The palate is a monster with lots of ripe red fruits, toasty oak and earthy/forest nuances. A very special wine . . . perhaps for Halloween!
Ravenswood You don’t see varietal Carignane in Northwest wine shops very often, but remembering it from my misspent youth I recommend you seek it out. The grape is intense and spicy, deeply colored and tannic. A little of it is blended with many quality California Zinfandels, but to have it as a single varietal is a treat. Spicy smoked cherry, vanilla and blackberry aromas lead to a rich and chewy palate of berry and spice. Superb structure portends well for medium-term aging.
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