Artiste Winery Malaguena Non Vintage Santa Barbara County, California

A pretty color of dark ruby with a wide reddish rim.

Fruity nose of blueberries, red plums, cherries, oak, earth, light vanilla, vegetables, spices and black pepper.

Full bodied and soft with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with plums, cherries, currants, oak, vanilla, licorice, spices, tobacco, dark chocolates, herbs, light vegetables and peppercorn.

Medium finish with soft tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a very nice Zinfandel blend from Santa Barbara County. Showing nice complexity with a nice mouthfeel.

Nicely balanced and good by itself as a sipping wine. Could use a few more years in the bottle to mature properly.

Needs 30 minutes to open up properly and remove some of the acidity.

Tasty, tangy, soft and interesting.

I paired it with Gorgonzola cheese and crackers.

A blend of 77% Zinfandel and 23% Petit Verdot. Non Vintage, bottled in 2019.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

89 points.

$52.

Inspiration Vineyards Zinfandel 2012 Dry Creek Valley Sonoma County, California

For National Zinfandel day I opened one from Sonoma County.

This is the second time I’m trying this 7 year old Zinfandel from Dry Creek Valley. This time I decided to let it open for 4 hours. Not much change.

Showing red fruits with earth notes, tobacco, vegetables, wood, earth and oak.

Soft and elegant with a tart finish and light bell pepper notes.

A nice food wine. At this point it does resemble an Italian Primitivo, which is nice to see.

Was probably better a few years ago, if you’re looking for a fruit forward Zinfandel. Interesting nonetheless.

I paired it with cheeses and crackers by the pool.

13.1% alcohol by volume.

87 points.

$25.

Peirano Estate The Immortals Old Vine Zinfandel 2015 Lodi, California

Ruby in color with a wide and cloudy, reddish/ brick rim.

Fruity nose of blackberries, sweet cherries, figs, raisins, maple, chocolates, coke, coffee, caramel, spices, cedar, leather, vanilla, licorice, cloves and black pepper.

Full bodied and smooth with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry and fruity on the palate with blackberries, black currants, cooked cherries, raisins, vanilla, oak, licorice, spices, chocolates, tobacco, mocha, coke and maple.

Long finish with soft tannins and cherries.

This is a very nice Zinfandel from Lodi. Nicely balanced with a nice mouthfeel. Showing lots of chocolate and maple notes. Tastes like it was aged in Bourbon Barrels.

A good everyday wine to sip on by the porch. Easy drinking, but might be a little sweet for some.

I paired it with a charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.

Aged in French and American oak barrels (15% new).

14.8% alcohol by volume.

88 points.

$15.

Parducci Wine Cellars Mendocino County Zinfandel 1978, California

Brick in color with a light brick rim.

Nose of black currants, plums, licorice, vanilla, earth, vegetables, graphite, bitter herbs, black pepper, fennel, eucalyptus, celery and spices. Nice and complex nose.

Medium bodied with medium plus acidity and nice legs.

Dry with black fruits and chocolates, licorice, mint, eucalyptus, black coffee, celery, vegetables, fennel, spices, tobacco leaf, peppercorn, leather, earth and graphite.

Nice finish with round tannins and tangy pomegranates.

Drinking these old wines is always interesting. Still drinkable even after 41 years.

Spicy and tangy with a nice mouthfeel. Not fully balanced any longer, but showing fabulous complexity, both on the nose and palate.

Good right out of the bottle and better after an hour of airtime. Needs 90 minutes to open up properly and show the tannins.

This is a great experience.

I paired it with a charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.

12% alcohol by volume.

88 points.

SLO Down Wines Sexual Chocolate Red Blend 2016, California

Dark ruby in color with a short purple rim.

Sweet nose of cherries, strawberries, black currants, cooked plums, raisins, vanilla, wood, spices, chocolates, tobacco, mocha, maple and black pepper.

Full bodied and bold with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry and extremely fruity on the palate with blackberries, plums, cooked cherries, oak, vanilla, licorice, spices, tobacco, chocolates, coffee, earth, light vegetables, cola, mocha and black pepper.

Medium plus on the finish with soft tannins, espresso and raspberries.

This is a tasty red blend from California. Showing lots of chocolate and coffee notes.

Still young and needs another few years in the bottle to mature and calm down. Tasty and delicious. Might be too sweet for some.

Good right out of the bottle and gets earthier as it opens up.
Reminds me of the Michael David style of wines.

Thank you Steve and Alex for sharing this with me.

A blend of mostly Syrah and some Zinfandel.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

90 points.

$27.

Binz Wines Fox Creek Vineyard Zinfandel 2014, Shenandoah Valley, California

Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.

Strong nose of blackberries, black currants, plums, bing cherries, red candy, mediterranean spices, wood, herbs, tobacco, licorice, vanilla, black tea, earth, leather, dark coffee, spices and black pepper. A very aromatic nose.

Full bodied and bold with medium plus acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with plums, black currants, coffee, oak, earth, vanilla, vinaigrette, tobacco leaf, peppercorn, spices, light bitter herbs, red chili powder and cloves.

Medium finish with soft tannins and tart cherries.

This is a nice a Zinfandel from California. A good quality wine and a good food wine.

Drinking nicely already, but would probably be better in a year or two.

Needs 2 hours to open up properly and remove some of the acidity.

The nose here is much nicer than the 2015 and more complex, but right now, I like the 2015 better.

I paired it with cheeses and light appetizers.

100% Zinfandel grapes were aged for 10 months in French and American oak barrels.

13.9% alcohol by volume.

88 points.

$28.

Binz Wines Fox Creek Vineyard Zinfandel 2015, Shenandoah Valley, California

Dark ruby in color with a short reddish rim.

Fruity on the nose with blackberries, bing cherries, oak, licorice, vanilla, chocolates, dark coffee, spices and peppercorn.

Full bodied and smooth with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with blueberries, cherries, licorice, oak, vanilla, spices, peppercorn, dark coffee, tobacco leaf, earth and herbs.

Long finish with soft tannins and tangy cranberries.

This is a nice Zinfandel from the Sierra Foothills in California. Drinking nicely now and showing nice complexity with a great nose. Spicy and tangy on the mid palate.

Good by itself or with food. A good quality wine with a soft mouthfeel.

Needs 2 hours to open up properly as it is too acidic right out of the bottle, so be patient.

Will age nicely in the next 3 to 5 years.

A good sipping wine to have all by itself.

I paired it with a cheese plate and crackers.

100% Zinfandel grapes were aged for 19 months in French and American oak barrels.

14.2% alcohol by volume.

89 points.

$28.