September Wine Focus: Wine 303 - Zinfandel and its family

20210916_Midweek_Wines-Thu-small.jpg

2017 Scotto Family Wines Zinfandel Old Vines (USA, California, Central Valley, Lodi)

A really easy going drinkable Zinfandel bursting with red berry flavours - most strongly strawberry (!)

Family Wines is the export label of Scotto and I don't know if this is the same as the wine sold in the USA under the Scotto Family Cellars label

http://scottofamilywine.com/

https://www.scottofamilycellars.com/

[Jenise]

Peter, that's a brand I've never seen before.

We opened two zins this week:

2017 Trader Joe's Amador County Zin, Lot #185
Floral nose with framboise-ish raspberry fruit--classic Amador!--some bramble, and dusty tannins that grip more on the second glass than they did on the first. A great little cellar defender type bargain for $10.

2018 Troon Zinfandel, Applegate County, Oregon
This intrigued more in theory than it did in the glass, especially the day after the above wine and at almost twice the price. Lighter body--probably young vines--with strawberry and roses with a touch of mint. About 45/55 fruit/acid ratio in spite of 3% petite sirah. Zero zin typicity, closer to a young nebbiolo.

[David M. Bueker]

1998 Ravenswood Barricia Vineyard Zinfandel is putting to shame the generalization that 1998 was lousy in Northern California. Lots of fruit left, as well as ample framing structure, so that it’s good with dinner, as well as enjoyable on its own.

[Jenise]

Been a fan of that recently too. I bought some 2011's. Not a popular move, but I love 'em.

Say, today I had a first: a Paso Zin that wasn't jammy or alcoholic! Liked it a lot, in fact: 2016 Dark Star Zinfandel. Served by my friend Ken, it was dark fruited, focussed and complex. In a great place right now, too.

Meanwhile I opened a 2016 Carlisle Zinfandel Piner Olivet Ranches Russian River Valley zin.
All the right stuff's in this bottle, but it's tight and holding back. Would wait on other bottles.

Following David's Ravenswood, we had a wine from Joel Peterson's new venture:

one-future-oak-2018.jpg

2018 Once & Future Wine Zinfandel Oakley Road Vineyard (California, Contra Costa County)

100% Zin from 118 year old vines planted in sand and on their own roots.

Very restrained, like a mature but fruitier, Claret.

We have our eldest and his partner staying with us for a few days and they decided on hamburgers, so we had them delivered from Honest Burger, a new restaurant in town, that make the best burgers I've had in the UK. They own their own butchers so they use the cuts of meat they want and make the patties themselves . And they use real bread buns, not that cotton wool like brioche, and burgers come with a huge amount of chips.

[David M. Bueker]

Peter,

Not aware of you know, but Joel acquired the redwood fermenting tanks he used at Ravenswood for Once & Future. It keeps a stylistic and tangible tie from the old to the new.

[Jenise]

So on Saturday night I hosted a zinfandel+Mexican food tasting, and here are just a few of the wines that showed up. From memory, no notes taken at the time:


2018 Bedrock Wine Co. Old Vine Zinfandel California
Beautifully perfumed nose with bright boysenberry fruit and spice. Uncommonly balanced and graceful--really, everything I want and hope for from this grape.

2018 Valravn Zinfandel Sonoma County
I strangely remember nothing specific about this one, except that I liked it and thought it a bit more structured. Separate from this event, I might have mistaken it for cab.

2018 Ironstone Vineyards Old Vine Zinfandel Lodi
Sturdy with more tannins than most of the zins at this tasting. I like, but the tannins dampen the fun factor.

2018 Ravenswood Zinfandel Old Vine Lodi
When Joel sold the winery, Ravenswood quality went into the toilet and my faith in the brand along with it, so I didn't expect much at all from this $11 Lodi zin. (I avoid Lodi like I avoid Paso and The Barossa Valley--not a hot climate fan.) A very pleasant surprise: not plonky at all. Black currant and spice flavors, good body and finish, bold but not buxom. A bargain at the price.

2018 Marietta Cellars Zinfandel Roman North Coast
Augmented with 4% each barbera and petite sirah, this shows loamy red and black fruits, peppery, maybe a touch of eucalyptus--clearly zinfandel but distinctive and welcomely not 'the usual'. A favorite at the tasting.

2019 Trentadue Winery Zinfandel La Storia Alexander Valley
Boysenberry and blackberry fruit with a touch of maple syrup for sweetness, this wine isn't in my usual wheelhouse but it's nonetheless complex and beguiling.

2018 Renwood Zinfandel Premier Old Vine Amador County
Visited Renwood's tasting room once and was disappointed to find all the wines tasting alike regardless of grape, almost homogenized and uniformly sweet in a simple-syrup kind of way. That was 20 years ago, and this bottle indicates that nothing's changed. Even sweeter, in fact, than I with no positive expectations expected. A perfect wine for Thanksgiving and your dessert-prone mother-in-law who doesn't usually drink wine, though.

2014 Trader Joe's Zinfandel Reserve Lot #71 Dry Creek Valley
A huge hit. Who'da thunk it--a 7 year old $10 zin. But it's Dry Creek and I remember tasting this on release and yes it was that good back then. And now, even better with warm leather and iron-rich red dirt road notes putting the finish on classic Dry Creek boysenberry and herb with a little sweet cedar streak down the middle.

2017 Kunde Estate Zinfandel Sonoma Valley
Smoother with more oak-glide on the palate than most of the zins on display, but entirely pleasant with balanced flavors. Perfect for that person you know who doesn't care for tannins.

2018 Bucklin Field Blend 'Bambino' Old Hill Ranch Sonoma County
One of my top three this night. Traditional, leathery and brambly with a perfect balance of fruity and savory. Tastes just like something that SHOULD come from a place called Old Hill Ranch. At $24, a bit more than most on this list but worth it.

[David M. Bueker]

2018 Bucklin Zinfandel Old Hill Ranch Sonoma County
One of my top three this night. Traditional, leathery and brambly with a perfect balance of sweet and savory. Tastes just like something that SHOULD come from a place called Old Hill Ranch. At $24, more than most, but worth it.

You got a deal on the Bucklin!

Was it really labeled Zin or Ancient Field Blend?

[Jenise]

It was the Bambino Field Blend. Must have put my TN on the wrong wine on CT.

[David M. Bueker]

It was the Bambino Field Blend. Must have put my TN on the wrong wine on CT.

Yeah, that Bambino is a heck of a value.

[David M. Bueker]

• 2017 A. Rafanelli Zinfandel - USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley (9/27/2021)
  Lightly structured, full of red and black berry fruit, a little spice on the back end - this is maybe a touch alcoholic on the back end, but I am probably splitting hairs. Overall it's tasty, and a good partner to food, as it is not so huge as to overwhelm the meal.

[Jenise]

It was the Bambino Field Blend. Must have put my TN on the wrong wine on CT.

Yeah, that Bambino is a heck of a value.

To be honest, though I bought the wine I'd not even heard of Bucklin before. Too, a quick search here indicated no prior reports on the brand. It apparently has a good reputation?

[David M. Bueker]

It was the Bambino Field Blend. Must have put my TN on the wrong wine on CT.

Yeah, that Bambino is a heck of a value.

To be honest, though I bought the wine I'd not even heard of Bucklin before. Too, a quick search here indicated no prior reports on the brand. It apparently has a good reputation?

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=64844&p=489686&hilit=bucklin#p489686

I only started buying a few in early 2020. I had tried to join their mailing list a few years back, and never got any response/offers, so let it slide for a while. There was a notice about an offering on Berserkers in 2020, and I jumped in. I have a note on their ancient vines Grenache here as well.

[Jenise]

Hmmm...must have used 'Search this topic' instead of 'Search this forum', because I *did* look. I ordered it just to seed the tasting with a few wines beyond what's on shelves locally (zin selections are dismal) and I've liked Old Hill Ranch wines from others. Anyway, great stuff. In fact, the whole tasting was great in that it made it so clear that I should buy more zin (and less cabernet).

[David M. Bueker]

In fact, the whole tasting was great in that it made it so clear that I should buy more zin (and less cabernet).

I have deliberately bought more Cabernet from time to time, and then I rarely drink it. I like it a lot, but don't eat in a way that promotes opening the bottles!

Zin fits my life.

[Jenise]

Ditto ditto ditto.

I find myself having to cook differently just to create the opportunity to open cabs. And living up here, I've pivoted toward syrah because that's what's around where if I were still in California I'd have probably pivoted to zinfandel for the times when I wanted something bigger than pinot but which suits what has somehow become, without intention, my preference for red fruit over black for that lifestyle fit you mention.

[David M. Bueker]

Bucklin fall offering just landed today.

[Jenise]

Just ordered more Bambino and also it's big brother the non-Bambino Ancient Field Blend. It's time to get back into zin!!!! Also ordered a Precedent (new label to me) Evangelho, because Evangelho. Have you tried this producer?

[David M. Bueker]

I had not heard of Precedent.

I ordered a case of the Bambino. Hard to resist at the price.

[Jenise]

I had not heard of Precedent.

I ordered a case of the Bambino. Hard to resist at the price.

Winery direct, what's the price?

[Jenise]

Ah, found it. $24. I'm getting more of the '18 for $21.60 per, free shipping. Interesting that it's 14.2% alcohol vs. 15.4 for the big brother. For that reason alone, I could prefer the Bambino.

[David M. Bueker]

2018 Bambino is so delicious tonight. I hope 2019 is as well.

[Jenise]

So glad I discovered it. More soon!

[David M. Bueker]

BTW, the Bucklin Ancient Vines Grenache is not to be missed.