We covered a ton of Zins over the last 4 months and several of them scored in the 90+ point range. We will highlight these gems below.  There are also several others wines that pulled down Very Good scores. You should check them out as well. We will highlight the 90-pointers in this report- just in time for grilling season! The first half of the report focuses on Zins where more than 80% of the wine was made with Zinfandel grapes. All wines with less than 80% Zin are highlighted in the Zin blend section at the bottom of this report. Don't miss these wines as there are a few of gems!
The first Zin rocked our tasting panel and took first place at our big blind tasting. What was the winner? It was the 2007 Peachy Canyon “Especial” Zin for $40. This 100% Zin received 93 points from the panel. It opens with a fragrant black-cherry bouquet with notes of chocolate and a hint of blueberry. The panel loved its nice balance and very smooth mouthfeel. A couple of panelists described it as velvety. The flavor profile was a tasty blueberry with milk chocolate and boysenberry mixed in. Yum! The pairing suggested for this terrific Zin is a pan-seared ribeye or a veal chop.
Believe it or not, the next best Zin came from the same family. The 2008 Chronic Cellars “Dead Nuts” Zin also received 93 points from me at this year's Boston Wine Expo. This Zin is an absolute steal for $20. This dark ruby-colored Zin opens with a fragrant blueberry bouquet with a hint of cherry vanilla. Like the Especial, this wine is extremely well balanced, smooth, and elegant. We loved the delicious ripe boysenberry flavors with a touch of ripe blackberry and black pepper mixed in. It would pair very well with a filet at your favorite steakhouse. It would also make a great glass pour!
The next offering was so good it is gone, or at least in Massachusetts. The 2007 Four Vines “Sophisticate” Zin for $25 finished in second place in our Big Blind Zin tasting. It was awarded 92 points. Like the wines above, this Zin is well balanced, smooth, and silky with very tasty boysenberry flavors. There was a hint of black cherry and a touch of oak mixed in as well. This is another option that would pair well with filet mignon. Another panelist suggested trying it with a sesame encrusted tuna steak.
Next up are two gems from one of my favorite Zinfandel producers, Carol Shelton. The 2006 “Karma” Zin from the Rue Vineyard in the Russian River Valley was showing very well when I tried it. I scored this Zin 92 points and its costs $33. This offering was nicely balanced and very fruit forward. It displayed tasty red-raspberry flavors with notes of blackberry and hints of black pepper. It did have some noticeable tannins that lingered for quite some time. Decant this impressive Zin and serve it with duck or venison. Next up was the 2006 “Wild Thing” from the Cox Vineyard for $28. This beauty also received 92 points. This Zin was full-bodied, very smooth, and nicely balanced. It displayed delicious lush spicy blueberry flavors with a touch of black currant and blackberry in the background. It was yummy. It has very well controlled tannins that make it very food-friendly as well. I would pair it with pepper encrusted pork tenderloin.
Next up was our third place finisher in the Big Blind tasting. It was the 2007 Quivira “West Creek Ranch” Zinfandel. In addition to its impressive 91 points, the panel loved the fact that this Zin was Organic. There was not much of this wine made, but if you can find some, it will be well worth its $34 price tag. It was medium-bodied, balanced, and savory with plum and black raspberry flavors. The panel also detected a hint of oak and chocolate as well. The pairing suggestion was one of our favorites, fig spread and Great Hill blue cheese on a sliced baguette. Now that is a can't miss combo!
The next offering is from a new producer for me. I met Peter Rosback from Sineann at a tasting in downtown Boston. His entire portfolio is quite impressive, but what I found particularly interesting was the fact that he made an “Old Vine” Zinfandel from Oregon. Peter told me the Zin grapes used in this wine come from the oldest vines in North America. That was impressive, but more importantly so was the wine. I awarded it with 91 points and it costs $39. It shows excellent balance and is so smooth. It displayed very enjoyable dark berry fruit flavors with notes of black cherry. I think this might be the first Oregon Zin that I remember recommending. I would pair this food-friendly Zin with roasted chicken smothered in a reduced cherry amaretto sauce.
About now, you might be asking yourself, where are the Zins for grilling season and barbecue dishes? Well stay tuned, but here is one that would be perfect for big rack of barbecue pork ribs. It is the 2006 Bradford Mountain “Grist Vineyard” Zinfandel from the Dry Creek Valley.  This wine costs $33 and also received 91 points. It was the best Zin from our final flight in the last mini-tasting. This offering is very fruit forward and very juicy with ripe black raspberry flavors. There was also a touch of black pepper and oak mixed in as well. Its big tannins are sticky, and it might warrant some decanting in the short run, but it is very drinkable now with those barbecue ribs!
The next 2 offerings are our favorites from Ravenswood this year. Both received 91 points. The 2007 “Belloni” Zinfandel for $35 was medium-bodied and very polished. It has gentle black raspberry flavors with hints of blueberry, oak, and a dash of pepper. Its huge dusty tannins will get your attention, which makes it perfect for pot roast. I also liked the 2007 “Dickerson” from the Napa Valley. We tried this one early on in one of our first mini flights. What caught our attention was the quick determination that this wine needs fat in the near term. So pair it with marbled meat. Its mild black raspberry flavors with a hint of plum and oak were quite tasty. This one had moderate tannins that build up and stick with you for sometime. So slow cook some beef brisket and enjoy it with the Dickerson.
Four Vines checks back in with another winner. The 2007 “Martinelli Vineyard” Zin from Paso Robles received 91 points from the mini-group that tried this intriguing Zin. Why intriguing? We were enamored by its terrific balance and delicious flavors. There were notes of red currant, cranberry, boysenberry, oak and molasses all blended into this beauty. With flavor profiles like that, we felt it warranted the intriguing moniker upon it. It would be perfect with meat lasagna.
This next 91-pointer comes from a producer who I had never heard of prior to this winter. The 2007 Dogwood Cellars Zinfandel from Mendocino really caught my attention. For $28, this Zin is a heck of a wine. I thought it was text book in terms of delivering classic Zinfandel fruit flavors. It was full-bodied, balanced, and very juicy with very tasty and lush black raspberry flavors. There was also the classic dash of black pepper added in as well. Like the Martinelli, it would also be perfect with meat lasagna.
The next set of Zins all received 90 points from me or the panel. I'll give you a little tease on the review to get your mouth watering. The first wine to mention stood out in its mini-flight and is also a great deal. The 2007 Novy “Russian River Valley” Zinfandel for $19 was most noted for its fruit forward style and tasty black raspberry and plum flavors. Next, Chronic Cellars returned to the winners circle with its 2007 “Purple Paradise” which is a blend of 95% Zinfandel & 5% Petite Sirah. This wine’s palate coating texture and yummy blend of black raspberry and blueberry flavors with a hint of milk chocolate will definitely keep you coming back for more.
The next two Zins come from Four Vines and as you might imagine they are Very Good. The 2007 Four Vines “Maverick” from Amador County reports in with a strong presence. Its fruit-forward style along with very tasty black raspberry flavors make it perfect for tangy pulled pork sandwiches. Right on its heels is the 2007 “Dusi Vineyard” Zin for $35. This wine is very limited in production with only 336 cases produced. It was one of the more highly regarded wines in our recent big blind tasting. The panelists enjoyed it’s fruit forward and savory style. The flavor profile was a very tasty black cherry with notes of vanilla oak and milk chocolate. They felt it would match well with veal marsala.
This next Zin always seems to end up towards the top of the pile every year. The 2007 Rosenblum “Rockpile Road Vineyard” Zinfandel for $35 is a winner again. This vintage showed off a unique smoky oak-infused black raspberry flavor profile. Throw in some notes of black pepper and you have a Zin that would be a great match with seasoned pork tenderloin or a veal chop. Our last 90-pointer is from a “who’s that winery?” The 2005 Chiarito Vineyard “Estate Bottled” Zinfandel for $35 hails from Mendocino, CA. There were only 450 cases of this wine made. It is showing very nicely right now. So if you can find a bottle, buy it and open it up right away. You will be rewarded by its very concentrated and jammy black raspberry flavors with notes of oak, rhubarb, and black pepper blended in. Prepare a messy stack of barbecue braised short ribs and enjoy.
The following Zins are best of the rest. They are all Very Good wines and received scores ranging from 87 points all the way up to 89 points.
1) Ravenswood 2007 Zinfandel “Big River” (Alex Valley, CA) $35 (89)
2) Ravenswood 2007 Zinfandel “Barricia” (Sonoma Valley, CA) $35Â (89)
3) Dashe 2007 Zinfandel “Todd Brothers Ranch” (Alex Valley, CA) $32Â (89)
4) Peju 2006 Zinfandel “Napa” (CA) $28 (89)
5) Rosenblum 2006 Zinfandel “Snows Lake Vineyard” (Lake County) $35Â (89)
6) Kuleto 2007 Zinfandel “Napa Valley” (CA) $40 (89)
7) Peachy Canyon 2007 Zinfandel “Mustard Creek” (Paso Robles, CA) $36 (89)
8) Terra d'Oro 2007 Zinfandel “Home Vineyard” (Amador, CA) $30 (89)
9) Michael David 2007 Zinfandel “Earthquake” (Lodi, CA) $28Â (89)
10) Peachy Canyon 2007 Zinfandel “Mustang Springs” (Paso Robles) $36 (89)
11) Dry Creek 2007 Zinfandel “Heritage” (Sonoma County, CA) $18 (89)
12) Dashe 2007 Zinfandel “Florence Vineyard” (Dry Creek Valley, CA) $32Â (88)
13) Bradford Mountain 2006 Zinfandel “Dry Creek Valley” (CA) $22Â (88)
14) Kendall Jackson 2007 Zinfandel “Vintners Reserve” (CA) $16 (88)
15) Peachy Canyon 2007 Zinfandel “Westside” (Paso Robles, CA) $19Â (88)
16) Rancho Zabaco 2007 “Hertitage Vines” (Sonoma County, CA) $18 (88)
17) Ridge 2007 Zinfandel “Pagani Ranch” (Sonoma Valley, CA) $35 (88)
18) Cakebread 2007 Zinfandel “Red Hills” (Lake County, CA) $41 (88)
19) Duckhorn 2008 Zinfandel “Decoy” (Napa Valley, CA) $22Â (87)
20) Navarro 2006 Zinfandel “Mendocino” (CA) $19 (87)
Zin Blends
Our two best Zin blends come from the Duckhorn family of wines. The 2007 “Postmark Howell Mountain” is made from 64% Zinfandel, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc, & 3% Petite Verdot. We awarded this gem 92 points. Postmark is a winery-exclusive wine. You can purchase it at the Paraduxx Winery in Napa for $70. It is medium-bodied, well balanced, and very refined. I loved its yummy black cherry flavors with notes of integrated blueberry and oak. This is one of the few samples that I chose to finish by myself. It is a wine that really shines with time and air. It got better each day. Staying in the family, the next best offering was the 2007 “Paraduxx” for $48 We scored this wine 90 points. It is made from 72% Zinfandel, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, & 1% Cabernet Franc. It was the top scorer from its mini-blind flight. I really appreciated how well balanced and approachable it was. I also enjoyed its very tasty mild black cherry and blueberry flavors with notes of spice and oak mixed in. It is very food-friendly and we thought it would pair very well with pork tenderloin.
The next two blends come from another big name in the Zin business. The 2007 Ridge “York Creek” for $30 is made from 78% Zinfandel & 22% Petite Sirah. It is not for the faint of heart. Instead it will appeal to readers who really enjoy big hearty reds. It opens with a nutty port-like bouquet. It has nice palate presence and displays black currant flavors with notes of nutmeg, pepper, and soy mixed in. This big boy was built for hearty beef stews. So pull it out on a cold and rainy night. Next up is Ridge’s everyday Zin blend. It seems to be a crowd pleaser every year. The 2007 “Three Valleys” for $22 received 89 points. It is made from 76% Zinfandel, 8% Petite Sirah, 7% Syrah, & 6% Grenache. It is nicely balanced and juicy with black cherry flavors and notes of light oak. It is easy to drink and very foodfriendly. I would pair this Zin blend with Theresa’s meatloaf.
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The next blend is a wine that has developed a bit of a cult following. The 2008 Orin Swift “The Prisoner” received 89 points from the panel. This year's version is a little bit less structured than previous vintages. However, it is nicely balanced and very approachable. Its flavor profile is black raspberry with notes of oak, chocolate and black cherry mixed in. Its finish is very lengthy and sticks around for a while. I tried this wine twice in the last 2 months and my notes are consistent.
We'll close this report with another interesting blend from the boys at Chronic Cellars. Their 2008 “El Perfecto” is an interesting blend of 50% Zinfandel & 50% Tempranillo I scored this wine 89 points. I was taken back by its fruit-forward flavors that burst in your mouth. Those flavors were a lush and juicy blackberry and black raspberry blend. Pair this fruit bomb with a big rack of barbecue ribs on the grill this summer.
As you can see, this year was a very good year for Zin and Zin blends. We hope you have as much fun going through them as we did. So light up that grill and start drinking some Zin!. Cheers, Ken
How come there isn’t a real good zin in the $10-15 dollar range?
There may be some Good ones out there, but these are all the Very Good or better one I covered. You could probably find the KJ for less than $15.