We recently conducted a blind tasting of California Zinfandels. Most of the submissions were from the 2006 vintage. There were a few from the 2005 and the 2007 vintages. For the most part we found the 2006 vintage to be more tannic and less fruit driven than the 2005 vintage. Where the 2005 vintage tended to be soft, elegant, and food-friendly, 2006 was more like the 2004 vintage in that its tannins and power are the story. The interesting part will be to see how some of theses wines develop with some cellar time. As the tannins disappear the question is will there be enough fruit in these wines for them to still be really interesting in 3 to 5 years? One panelist commented that the entry level Zins might be more favorable than the premium offerings in 2006 since their tannin levels are more approachable now and the fruit is still young and fresh.
In the end we found several Very Good options and only a few that we did not recommend at the premium price level. The consensus was that there were only a few 90 point wines. In our initial blind tasting we tried fourteen Zins. Three of them scored Very Good + or over 90 points. Eight others scored Very Good. Three wines did not make the cut. In our follow-up mini tasting, the results were less impressive. Only seven wines out of fifteen wines were recommended.
Our winner is not an unknown in the Zinfandel world. Hartford Family Winery has been producing award winning Zins for many years. This year the Hartford Family Winery 2006 “Russian River Valley” Zinfandel for $35 stole the show. The panel scored this wine 91.6 points. It is medium-bodied, very well-balanced, has good structure, and delicious silky blackberry flavors with a dash of cinnamon. The finish sails on for quite some time. The panel was quite impressed and enamored by this wine. The primary factor that made this Zin stand out was how well the tannins were tamed and managed compared to some of the other entries.
Our second place finisher came from the 2005 vintage. It seems that every year in our Zin tasting an older wine sneaks into one of the top slots in our blind tasting. This year it was the 2005 Murphy Goode “Snake Eyes” Zinfandel $35. This wine also scored Very Good + and was awarded 91 points. This wine was medium-bodied and very well-balanced and silky with delicious spicy black cherry flavors and a hint of chocolate. The panel would pair this food-friendly Zin with a filet mignon or even a tuna steak. This Zinfandel was a perfect example of the refinement that could be achieved in the 2005 vintage at the premium level.
In third place, we were not surprised to see one of Carol Shelton’s Zins near the top. The Carol Shelton 2006 “Rocky Reserve” Zinfandel from the Florence Vineyard in Rockpile is always a steady performer. The panel scored this wine 90.1 points. This wine retails for $33. This Zin was medium-bodied, smooth, and balanced. It displayed savory cherry and chocolate flavors. The panel thought this Zin would be ideal with a cowboy rib eye or mushroom risotto.
In fourth place was an old standby. The 2006 Michael & David Phillips “Earthquake” for $28 frequently seems to delight our tasting panel. The panel scored it 89.2 points. We described this wine as medium-bodied and a juicy fruit bomb. The flavor profile is tart black raspberry with notes of black pepper. It was built for a New York sirloin steak with a brown mushroom sauce. Next up was the 2006 Peachy Canyon “Mustang Springs” Zinfandel $36. This offering scored a Very Good with 88.5 points. This Zin was smooth and elegant with light black raspberry flavors. It also had very interesting building tannins that lingered for quite some time. The panel thought this offering was quite versatile and would pair it with braised short ribs, meatloaf, or roast beef.
Rounding out our top wines was the 2006 Carlisle “Carlisle Vineyard” Zinfandel from the Russian River Valley $40. The panel awarded this wine with 88.1 points. This offering is 84% Zinfandel and 16% Mixed Blacks. This wine had a black currant flavor profile with a hint of black licorice mixed in. The panel would match this wine with veal medallions in a brown sauce.
Other recommended Zinfandels from the first tasting:
7.) Peachy Canyon 2006 “Old School House” Zinfandel $36 (Paso Robles, CA) (87.9)
8.) Alexander Valley Vineyards 2005 “Redemption Zin” $25 (Dry Creek Valley, CA) (87.6)
9.) Ravenswood 2006 Zinfandel “Big River” $35 (Alexander Valley, CA) (87.5)
10.) Ravenswood 2006 “Belloni” Zinfandel $35 (Russian River Valley, CA) (87.1)
11.) Ravenswood 2006 “Dickerson” Zinfandel $35 (Napa Valley, CA) (87.0)
In the second tasting we focused on value priced Zins and new brands. The winner of this tasting was the Murphy Goode 2006 “Liars Dice” Zinfandel for $21. We scored this wine Very Good and awarded it with 89 points. I found this entry level Zin from Sonoma County to be showing quite well right now. It is medium-bodied, nicely balanced, and very easy to drink with its tasty black raspberry flavors and spicy black pepper notes. It is very food-friendly and would pair nicely with a gourmet burger.
Another wine that scored 89 points is the Gloria’s 2005 “Old Vines” Zinfandel from Mendocino. There is not a lot of this wine, with 130 cases produced. For $18 we found this wine to be quite impressive. It opens with an attractive and aromatic boysenberry-like bouquet with a hint of spice. It continues with silky and soft light boysenberry jam flavors. We would pair it with a juicy pulled pork sandwich.
In third place was a producer that is new to the game. From what I can see and taste, they are off to a very good start. The 2006 Big Fish Zin from Dry Creek Valley was really good and we scored it 88.5 points. It opens with an attractive spicy, black cherry bouquet. It was nicely balanced, smooth, and juicy with very tasty black cherry flavors and notes of vanilla. I was also impressed with its managed tannins which were nicely prolonged. It was quite impressive for a first time effort. We did note however, that at $42, it did have the highest price point when compared to all the other entries from both tastings.
Our fourth place wine is not a stranger to recognition. The 2007 Edmeades $20 from Mendocino County was one of the first Zinfandels we tried of the 2007 vintage. What we found was a balanced and very juicy wine with ripe raspberry flavors. We scored it Very Good and awarded it with 88 points. We thought this was a very approachable Zin that would pair nicely with grilled barbecue chicken.
Carol Shelton returns to the recommended circle with her second entry. The Carol Shelton 2006 “Monga Zin” $21 from the Lopez Vineyard in the Cucamonga Valley scored 87 points. This offering opens with a red currant-like bouquet with a hint of mint. It was medium-bodied, balanced, and has a dry mouth feel. The flavor profile is a dusty black cherry with notes of black currant. We thought it would pair really well with a slow cooked beef brisket. Next up was the 2007 Alexander Valley Vineyards “Sin Zin.” This $20 offering from the Alexander Valley is a nice quaffing wine for $20. It is balanced and very easy to drink with light black raspberry flavors with a hint of black pepper. It would be a perfect compliment for grilled barbecue chicken this summer.
Finally, I would be very remiss if I did not mention two other high flying Zins that we have tried in the last 6 months.
The 2007 Seghesio “Sonoma County” Zinfandel might be the best Zin for the money at $24. I scored this wine a Very Good+ and gave it 91 points. Some of my colleagues liked it even more that I did. This wine is consistently Very Good or better every year. I personally believe this year’s vintage might be the best offering at the Sonoma County level that I can remember. It is medium-bodied, nicely balanced, and as smooth as silk, with spicy blueberry flavors and a hint of black pepper. It was truly impressive for an entry level offering.
Lastly, you have to go out of your way to get your hands on a bottle or two of the 2005 Carol Shelton Zinfandel from the “Maple Vineyard” in the Dry Creek Valley. This Zin is the wine that Zin lovers dream about!! At $33 this wine is a steal. I scored it 93 points. It is full-bodied, smooth, and well balanced. The flavor profile is tasty with juicy raspberry flavors. This is the style of Zin that made the Maple Vineyard so famous among Zin fans. Grab a bottle and enjoy!
We hope you enjoy these Zinfandels as much as we did. There are many styles to choose from. Find the style and vintage that works best for you. Given the economy you might even find some bargains. Cheers until next post. Ken
To view the complete list of Ken’s Wine Guide recommended Zinfandels click here.
The differing theories of the origins and name of Zinfandel are just as elusive and diverse as this list of great California Zinfandel Red Wines. It is truly the perfect grape variety to represent California’s viniculture.