WTN: Some New/Mostly Zins...(long/boring)

We tried last night (12/16/09) Some New Wines:
1. Chester'sAnvil Zin MtVeeder/NapaVlly (15.5%; 49 cs; www.LagiierMeredith.com; www.PottWine.com;
old ChesterBrandlin Ranch) 2007: Med.color; beautiful/perfumed very spicy/berry/raspberry/
blackberry/Zin light oak very aromatic complex nose; tart very spicy/raspberry/blackberry/Zin
bit peppery very perfumed light oak some tannic balanced/seamless flavor; very long/lingering
tart/balanced/seamless bright/raspberry/blackberry/Zin light oak some tannic very perfumed
finish; needs 2-5 yrs; an incredible purity of Zin fruit w/ a ton of spiciness; reminds me some
of the early MikeBernstein MtVeederVnyds Zins; one of the best Zins this year. Worth every penny
of $32.00
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2. Radio-Coteau Zin vonWeidlichVnyd/OccidentalRidge/RRV (15.2%; 272 cs; U/U) 2007: Dark color; intense
blackberry/boysenberry/Zin quite dusty/old vines some pencilly/oak very aromatic complex nose; very
tart deep/dusty/old vines some pencilly/oak intense blackberry/peppery/boysenberry/Zin fairly tannic
complex flavor; very long/lingering fairly tannic intense peppery/blackberry/Zin/spicy some pencilly/
oak rather dusty/old vines finish; great depth & length and classic dusty/old vine character w/
great intensity of fruit; needs 2-7 yrs; maybe the best R-C Zin yet. $43.00
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3. Talty Zin WilliamTaltyVnyds/Estate/DCV (15.1%; www.TaltyVineyards.com) 2006: Med.dark color; light toasty/
oak fairly strong blackberry/framboise/Zin slight pungent/licorice/chocolaty bit alcoholic rather spicy/
lush/fragrant nose; tart bit hard/tannic slight alcoholic strong blackberry/framboise/Zin light vanilla/
toasty/oak flavor; med/long strong blackberry/framboise/Zin somewhat hard/tannic bit toasty/oak finish;
needs several yrs; alcohol seems a bit intrusive; attractive solid Zin. $37.00
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4. Talty Zin WilliamTaltyVnyds/Estate/DCV (15.0%) 2005: Med.dark color; deeper more concentrated blackberry/
Zin pretty light toasty/vanilla/oak pretty spicy quite attractive nose; rather softer/rounder/lusher
strong blackberry/Zin quite spicy bit menthol light toasty/oak flavor; slight tannic strong blackberry/Zin
quite spicy light toasty/oak finish; more balance & more spicy than the '06 w/o the alcohol intruding.
$37.00
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5. Talty Zin FeliceConnollyVnyds/NapaVlly (15.0%) 2006: Med.dark color; bit alcoholic pleasant Zin/raspberry
slight dusty/earthy bit tarry/pungent light oak nose; slightly tart pleasant raspberry/Zin slight earthy/
dusty light oaked bit alcoholic flavor; med. attractive Zin/raspberry light pungent/oak bit hot/alcoholic
finish; not the lushness of the first two and a bit hot/alcoholic. $37.00
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6. Talty Zin FeliceConnollyVnyds/NapaVlly (14.5%) 2007: Med.dark color; some vanilla/pungent/oak light
raspberry/Zin some volatile/hot/EA/fumey nose; soft somewhat hot/alcoholic/fumey light raspberry/Zin
light vanilla/oak flavor; med.long slight herbal/celery seed pleasant raspberry/Zin bit fumey/hot finish
w/ light tannins; pleasant Zin flavors but a bit on the fumey/volatile side. $37.00
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7. Talty Zin DwightFamilyVnyds/DCV (14.7%) 2007: Dark color; slight herbal/dusty quite spicy/raspberry/Zin
light vanilla/pencilly/oak fairly perfumed nose; tart bit lean fairly spicy/raspberry/Zin light
pencilly/oak rather elegant/balanced slight herbal flavor; med.long rather spicy/raspberry/Zin light
pencilly/oak finish w/ light tannins; an attractive/balanced nice-drinking Zin. $30.00
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11. BigBasinVnyds RattlesnakeRock/SantaCruzMtns Syrah (14.9%; www.BigBasinVineyards.com;
135 cs) 2003: Black color; very intense espresso/coffee/pungent/roasted/smokey very strong blackberry/
spicy/Syrah very NorthernRhonish complex very aromatic nose; tart slight earthy intense roasted/espresso/
coffee/pungent slight tarry some blackberry/Syrah complex beautiful/Rhonish flavor; very long intense
roasted/espresso/pungent/tarry strong blackberry/Syrah/peppery finish w/ fair tannins; needs 3-6 yrs
yet; a stunning very NorthernRhonish Syrah in the style of AlainGraillot. $48.00
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12. Ridge Calif Zin DusiRanch LateHrvst (100% Zin; BenitoDusiRanch/PR/SLOCnty; Palnted: 1923;
15.5%; 51 brls; SaH: 28.7%; RS: 1.4%; Drk: 6/08-6/14: EB) 2007: Very dark color; very intense jammy/
boysenberry/blackberry/Zin bit herbal/vegetal slight raisened/overripe/late harvesty nose; soft very
intense jammy/blackberry/boysenberry/Zin some pruney/raisened bit hot/alcoholic overripe flavor; very
long off-dry very ripe/jammy/Smuckers blackberry jam/Zin some hot/alcoholic finish w/ light tannins;
a bit on the overripe/hot/jammy side for a Dusi. $30.00
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13. Boheme Syrah SantaLuciaHighlands (15.1%) KurtBeitler 2003: Fairly dark color; strong licorice/blackberry/
Syrah rather cracked black pepper/cold-climate some pungent/toasty/oak spicy/complex lovely nose; tart
pungent/smokey cracked black pepper/blackberry/Syrah light toasty/charred/oak some licorice/tarry
complex flavor; very long roasted/herbal/pungent blackberry/Syrah/black pepper light charred/toasty/oak
complex finish w/ modest tannins; in a very good place right now and will probably hold for several yrs
before heading down; a lovely/complex cold-climate Syrah. Kevin's mystery wine.
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14. VillaCreek Avenger (40% Syrah/30% Grenache/30% Mourvedre; 15%) 2001: Dark color w/ slight bricking; some
pungent/jammy very ripe bit fumey/alcoholic some blackberry/boysenberry/Syrah/licorice some toasty/oak
nose; soft/fat some blackberry/Syrah/jammy/boysenberry rather toasty/charred/oak somewhat hot/fumey/
jammy/overripe flavor; med. ripe/jammy/overripe some blackberry/Syrah rather toasty/oak finish w/ light
tannins; bit overripe & alcoholic and not going anywhere. $40.00
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15. Tensley Syrah ColsonCanyon/SBC (15%) 2008: Very dark color; very strong pungent/licorice/tarry/smokey
intense blackberry/boysenberry/Syrah beautiful nose; tart very intense blackberry/boysenberry/Syrah some
licorice/pungent/tarry light toasty/oak very spicy flavor; very strong blackberry/boysenberry/Syrah
somewhat pungent/licorice/tarry finish w/ some tannins; needs several yrs and will go out maybe 10;
less exhuberent Syrah fruit and more interesting things than previous young Tensley Syrahs; another
Tensley killer Syrah. TomKwan mystery wine.
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And a wee BloodyPulpit:
1. Chester'sAnvil: Doesn't mention it on the label, but this comes from the old block of BrandlinRanch
that Chester kept for himself. A joint effort between SteveLagier/CaroleMeridith and AaronPotts.
A first-time effort that will be repeated in 2009. One of the most stunning Zins I've had this year.
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2. This is, alas, the last vintage of R-C for vonWeidlich Zin. It all now goes to BradAlper/BillKnuttle
for their Otimmino label. The R-C vonWeidlich has consistently been over the yrs one of the best
Zin from Calif. I dearly hope EricSussman will be able to locate another old-vine Zin vnyd to work with.
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3. Talty: This is a new wnry I heard a few things on the internet about and thought I'd give them a test
drive. The Dwight '07 was my favorite, closely followed by the Estate '05. I thought the Zins were good/
solid Zins, sorta in the DavidCafarro style, but a bit on the pricey side compared to other Zins out
there. The two Napa Zins were the least interesting to me; pleasant but just that. I'll likely try them
again in a few yrs.
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4. DusiLateHarvest: Ridge has always done a good job w/ the Dusi Zins even when the sugars are on the high
side. They usually have a very intense boysenberry/blackberry character w/o being overripe/raisened in
character. This wine just seemed a bit over-the-top to me and over in the LateHarvest camp compared to
their previous ones. Not really a bad wine, but I don't see it going anywhere with age. Drink w/
pungent cheeses or nuts is probably its best use. A bit of a strange duck I think.
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5. Zins: A tasting like this of Zins always takes me back to my roots in the '70's when Zin was my favorite
red wine...afore I succumbed to the siren-song of Syrah. I still think the world of Zin out there is
just as alive and well has it ever was after the stupid food-wine Zins of the early '80's. They just
don't seem to have the pizzazz that they did back then. But when I taste Zins like the Chester'sAnvil,
or the Radio-Coteau, or the DryCreekVnyds, or the Ottominos....I recall...yeah...this is what used to
really jazz me about Zinfandel. Heck...I may go back to ZAP again this year.
Tom

Tom; when Chester sold the ranch, he separated out a tiny parcel for himself where he'd planted, back in the early '90s, a small patch of Zin on a steep, east-facing slope. The vines aren't old, but they're in their mid-teens, and dry-farmed, so their roots are deep. He offered me some of those grapes a few years ago, but they were already in the way-high 20's, and raisined as could be, so I passed. But in a little cooler year they're likely quite good, as your experience seems to bear out.

Thanks for clarifying that, Steve. I just assumed they were an old block.
From visits w/ Steve&Carole...it sounds like Chester is not always on top of his game.
Tom

He's an old guy, Tom; even older than you!

I've only had a couple of '07 Zins so far - but your notes rang a bell with me - good, old-fashioned, non-explosive, tasty, best with food.
When you wrote "DavidCafarro" you were thinking of the guy with shorts and sandals on Dry Creek Road, weren't you? Just a bit of creative spelling for David Coffaro? Or is it the Napa Valley Cafaro?

I was thinking about David Coffaro's "My Zin" '07:
"A simple quaff with a lot of depth, if that makes any sense. The alcohol isn't noticeable. A pleasant aperitif, and great with lasagna. Near peak now, good for another year or two. 615 cases 15.3% alcohol 75% Zin, 14% Cab Sauv, 11% Petite Sirah

John

I've only had a couple of '07 Zins so far - but your notes rang a bell with me - good, old-fashioned, non-explosive, tasty, best with food.
When you wrote "DavidCafarro" you were thinking of the guy with shorts and sandals on Dry Creek Road, weren't you? Just a bit of creative spelling for David Coffaro? Or is it the Napa Valley Cafaro?
I was thinking about David Coffaro's "My Zin" '07:
"A simple quaff with a lot of depth, if that makes any sense. The alcohol isn't noticeable. A pleasant aperitif, and great with lasagna. Near peak now, good for another year or two. 615 cases 15.3% alcohol 75% Zin, 14% Cab Sauv, 11% Petite Sirah
John

Yup, John...that would be David Caffaro up on DryCreekRd..not the Napa Joe Cofaro.
As Steve is so eager to point out...it's that age thing!!!
Tom

Speaking of Chester'sAnvil...a few weeks ago I had heard in my hallway (explosions of any kind are always a hot topic around here) a lady talking about shooting anvils up into the air. I mentioned it to Steve&Carole and they sent me this link:
AnvilLaunching

Kinda neat, I think. I think LosAlamos (your taxpayer $$'s at work) could probably take anvil launching to a whole nuther level. Just don't ask about colateral damage issues!!!
Tom