WTN: My Zins are Catching Up with Me

I was in a Zinfandel mood with colder than normal temperatures in North Carolina (I tend to drink Zins in cold weather for hearty meals or in the summer with barbeque or picnic fare.)

I decided to try three Zins starting with lowest in alcohol by volume (as labeled) and proceeding to highest alchohol percentage.

First up:

2006 Z ZINFANDEL, MASSONI RANCH, AMADOR COUNTY, CA, Jeff Runquist, vintner, Sue Fox, grower. Labeled as 14.5% abv. Dark purple color; opaque. Leggy on sides of the glass. Described on the label as having flavors of ripe blackberry and raspberry. It is quite fruity and blackberry probably is a closer descriptor than other fruits although far from exact. I had purchased this after a Zinfandel tasting at Fayetteville Wine Society. Liked it then and liked it now. (I have also liked "R" Petite Sirah from Jeff Runquist.

2006 ROBERT BIALE VINEYARDS VALSECCHI VINEYARD ZINFANDEL, CARNEROS (from mailing list)
15% abv. From old vines originally planted in the 1800's by a Swiss immigrant dairyman turned grape grower. Still in the family. Less dense and opaque than the "Z" Zinfandel. On the palate, a grapey first impression. Further tasting revealed layers with dark raspberry riding atop a licorice lick. Medium to long finish. It opens up more the second and third evenings. Some tannins, but not of an oppressive nature. Pair it with meat in a sweet barbecue sauce. My personal rating for this wine would be in the 87-89 range.

2006 HENDRY BLOCKS 7 AND 22 ZINFANDEL, NAPA VALLEY (another tasted at FWS Zinfandel evening and then purchased)
15.6% abv. Vineyard located on benchlands between Carneros and Mt. Veeder districts. Opaque and dark and dense. Rather astringent on the first sip. A vinyl component that is not very pleasing. Aeration helped the fruit and earth to emerge. Long finish. I liked both the Biale and the Hendry Zins better on the second evening after opening. Block 7 was planted in 1975 to Clone 2 Zinfandel. Block 22 was planted in 1995, also to clone 2. Dry rocky soils and cooling breezes from San Pablo Bay. Aged 15 months in French oak barrels; approximately 1/3 new.

I liked the "Z" best upon opening but enjoyed all three once the Biale and Hendry had been open for a day.

[Jenise]

Great title.

Interesting that Hendry is now blending the two vineyards. I used to love Block 7 and bought them to drink 4-5 years out, and they always seemed like they'd last longer, sometimes much longer. Sure hate seeing those alcohols creep up, though.

I had heard of Hendry Block 7 and almost tried it at a Dean and Deluca wine bar in Charlotte but then decided to go with another wine instead. Now by the time I did get around to trying it, they had combined the two blocks. I also wish they could keep the alcohol percentage at 15% or lower. I was trying three vintages of Eric Ross Zinfandels at the tasting room in Glen Ellen and each vintage had progressively higher percentage of alcohol.