We tasted last night (2/9/11) Mostly Bedrock/Carlisle Zins:
1. BedrockWineCo CuveeCaritas SonomaCnty WW (14.4%; 60% 110 old Semillon/MonteRossoVnyd;
40% SauvBlanc KickRanch; www.BedRockWineCp.com) 2009: Light gold color; strong herbal/figgy/SB/appley/slight
cat pee bit chalky/minerally/earthy perfumed quite interesting nose; tart strong figgy/waxy/Semillon bit herbal/SB
somewhat chalky/minerally/perfumed/perfumed talc some austere flavor; long waxy/figgy/Semillon light herbal/SB/
cat pee quite perfumed finish; nose of SauvBlanc but speaks of Semillon on palate; lovely wine w/ little
oak. $28.00
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2. BedrockWineCo Zin OldVine SonomaVlly (15.0%; 6 vnyds mostly planted in 1919, some to 1888 &
1890; 9 brls, 2 puncheons) 2009: Med.dark color; strong very spicy/rosemary/thyme bright blackberry/Zin/boysenberry
rather dusty/old vine beautiful fragrant/perfumed nose; intense blackberry/Zin/boysenberry very spicy/rosemary quite
dusty/old vine rather rough/tannic/hard/structured light oak flavor; very long rather rough/tannic/hard very spicy/
rosemary intense blackberry/boysenberry/Zin some dusty/old vine finish; needs much age; big/spicy/perfumed fruit
and great structure for the long haul; terrific Zin at a terrific price. $22.50
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3. BedrockWineCo Zin StellwagonVnyd/SonomaVlly (15.3%; 110 yr old vines; 8 brls) 2009: Very dark color; very strong
blackberry/Zin/boysenberry some earthy/dusty deep bass notes slightly less fruit quite aromatic very slightfumey/
alcoholic lovely nose; big/rough/tannic very strong blackberry/Zin/boysenberry slight vanilla/oak some earthy/dusty
rather old-school Zin flavor; very long tannic/rough/hard very strong blackberry/Zin/boysenberry light oak finish;
structured and needs age; a rather old-timey/old-school Zin like the Swans of old and the early Ravenswoods; not as
much spicy fruit and more bass notes; great value at $28.50
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4. BedrockWineCo Zin BedrockVnyd OldVine SonomaVlly O'Brother! (121 yr old Zin vines/Block 42; 15.0%)
Galen Wolf-Peterson/little brother 2009: Dark color; very strong very spicy/blackberry/boysenberry/Zin very aromatic/
perfumed nose; some dusty/old vines very spicy strong blackberry/Zin/boysenberry slight tannic/hard light oak flavor;
very long very spicy/blackberry/Zin/boysenberry rather dusty/old vine light oak finish; not quite as hard/tanic/rough
as the other two and some like #2 w/o the exotic spiciness; lovely Zin. $30.00
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5. Carlisle Zin RRV (15.9%; + AlicanteBouschet; 118 cs) 1998: Med.dark color w/ slight bricking; rather strong/blackberry/
cranberry/Zin light toasty/oak light pencilly/cedary/old Zin/cigar box rather complex nose; soft fairly smooth strong
blackberry/cranberry/spicy/Zin slight cedary/old Zin/pencilly fairly smooth/polished/DrPepper/RCCola some complex
flavor; med.long blackberry/cranberry/Zin/spicy some cedary/cigar box/old Zin slight alcoholic finish w/ fairly smooth
tannins; showing more high-toned/cranberry notes and some nice old Zin/pencilly character; probably worth drinking
up. $24.00
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6. Carlisle Zin GoldMineRanch/DCV (15.1%; Planted in 1914; +Carignane; 100 cs) 2007: Very dark color; very strong
blackberry/Zin/raspberry perfumed/aromatic/floral/briary lovely nose; soft rather rich/lush strong blackberry/
raspberry/Zin light toasty/oak rather perfumed/floral some tannic flavor; long strong blackberry/raspberry/Zin
fairly spicy bit dusty/old-vine light toasty/oak finish w/ some tannins; bit more high-toned/raspberry character
than the other two, bit more polished/lush; lovely Zin. $34.25
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7. Carlisle Zin PaperaRanch/RRV (15.2%; Planted in 1934; 645 cs) 2007: Very dark color; very strong lush pungent/licorice
intense blackberry/boysenberry/Zin light toasty/oak lovely nose; tart lush/blackberry/boysenberry/Zin some licorice/
pungent light toasty/oak bit tannic flavor; very long pungent/licorice blackberry/boysenberry/Zin light toasty/oak
finish w/ some tannins; needs 2-5 yrs; lots of RRV/blackberry character; lovely Zin w/ very good potential. $37.75
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8. Carlisle Zin CarlisleVnyd/RRV (14.8%; Planted by AlcidePelletti in 1927; +PS/AB/GrandNoir; 550 cs) 2007: Dark/near black
color; beautiful very fragrant/perfumed boysenberry/blackberry/raspberry/Zin very spicy/DrPepper/peppery perfumed/
aromatic rather complex/exotic nose; tart very spicy/floral/perfumed/DrPepper/peppery very strong blackberry/
raspberry/Zin dusty/old vines very spicy/perfumed/exotic flavor w/ some tannins; very long/lingering very spicy/
perfumed/peppery intense blackberry/raspberry/Zin some dusty/old vine finish w/ some tannins; very classic RRV/peppery
Zin w/ some DCV/raspberry/high-toned notes; very perfumed/aromatic/spicy; my favorite of these Carlisles; amazing Zin.
$37.75
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9. JCCllrs Zin SweetwaterSpringsVnyd/RRV (15.3%) 2008: Very dark/black color; strong blackberry/boysenberry/Zin/spicy/
licorice bit herbal/earthy rather strong toasty/oak bit fumey/alcoholic/overripe nose; soft/lush very ripe/
blackberry/Zin/boysenberry strong toasty/charred/burnt/oak some tannic flavor; long bit hot/fumey strong blackberry/
boysenberry/Zin slight herbal very strong charred/oak finish; loads of very ripe Zin fruit but pushing the boundaries
of ripeness a bit. $35.00
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10. JCCllrs PetiteSirah SweetwaterSpringsVnyd/RRV (15%) 2008: Black color; low key licorice/peppery/earthy/dusty/tarry
slight reduced/diaper pail that clears strong pencilly/charred/oak some funky/earthy noose; soft bit funky/unclean/
rustic/earthy very tannic some tarry/funky/licorice rather charred/oak flavor; med.long tannic/hard/extracted strong
toasty/charred/oak bit licorice/tarry/pungent fairly hard/tannic finish; a rather rough/rustic quite tannic PS
w/ lots of oak and not a lot of fruit; needs time to evolve but not sure where it will go. $35.00
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11. ShenandoahVnyds Zin AmadorCnty (15.1%) 1978: Med.color w/ some bricking; very dusty/earthy/damp Kansas root
cellar walnutty/adhesive tape/band aidlight vanilla/oak complex very unusual nose; tart very dusty/earthy/
walnutty/adhesive tape no fruit rather smooth flavor w/ little tannins; very long earthy/dusty/walnutty/
adhesive tape/pungent no fruit smooth very unusual finish w/ little tannins; no tired/dried-out/old Zin
character whatsoever; almost like an old earthy Bdx; very unusual development for an old Amador Zin; almost
like an old Sercial Madeira w/o the oxidation; very/very interesting development in this wine. $6.00
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12. Montevina Zin AmadorCnty LateHarvest (EB; RS: 3.4%; 16%) 1978: Very dark color w/ very little bricking; very
strong chocolate cake/angel food cake beautiful blackberry/boysenberry/Zin/chocolaty some Am.oak/toasty/vanilly
rather briary/AmadorCntyZin beautiful/complex ripe nose; slightly sweet some chocolaty/very ripe/boysenberry/jammy/
blackberry/briary strong vanilla/toasty/oak no overripe/pruney/raisened slight coffee/espresso/charred complex
flavor; very long/lingering jammy/ripe/blackberry/boysenberry/briary strong vanilla/charred/toasty/oak finish w/
light tannins; a beautiful ripe/briary Amador Zin that has aged amazingly well. $6.00
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13. Ridge Calif Zin StoneRanch (3% PS; 14.8%; Drk: 12/04-12/08: PD) 2002: Med.dark color; very ripe/overripe rather
raisened/Recioto-like somewhat alcoholic strong pencilly/oak somewhat complex nose; tart somewhat hard/tannic very
ripe/overripe/Recioto-like licorice/blackberry/earthy/Zin some toasty/oak/DraperPerfume burnt toast flavor; long
very ripe/overripe/Recioto-like hard/tannic some burnt toast/earthy slight chocolaty/blackberry/Zin finish;
lots of Recioto-like character; not very attractive.
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14. Ridge Calif Zin DusiRanch LateHrvst (100% Zin; 15.5%; SaH: 28.7%; RS: 1.4%; Drk: 6/08-6/14: EB) 2007: Dark color;
very strong/intenseblackberry/boysenberry/jammy/PR Zin beautiful floral/lilacs/violets slight alcoholic lovely/
perfumed nose; off-dry very intense blackberry/boysenberry/jammy/ripe huge fruit rather floral flavor; very long
intense blackberry/boysenberry/jammy off-dry huge fruit finish w/ little obvious tannins; tons of ripe fruit but
not at all raisened/pruney/overripe character; much like a junior Essence; classic PR ripe/jammy Zin.
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And the usual pompous BloodyPulpit:
1. The Oldies: The ShenandoahVnyds was one of LeeSobon's first wines, back when he was making some pretty amazing
wines, some of the best (along w/ CaryGott/Montevina) in AmadorCnty, long after SutterHome had kissed off making
quality Deaver Zin. It had evolved in a very strange, not altogether unpleasant, way; with lots of very earthy/
dusty character; like no other old Zin I've had. It showed absolutely no signs of that dried-out/tannic old Zin
character you often find in old Zins. Really quite an interesting and good-drinking wine.
I was expecting the Montevina LateHrvst to be pretty much dead & gone. It was not. Still very much alive and
plenty of Amador fruit in it. Usually, LateHrvsts this old show lots of pruney/raisened dried out character. This
one did not and was in beautiful balance. Amazingly good old Zin.
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2. StoneRanch: I hate it when my people throw these old wines as mystery wines back in my face. When this wine came
out in early '05, it was what I thought was one of the best Ridge ATP Zins I'd had in yrs. Huge fruit, much like
a big Pagani. I recall touting this wine to DonnReisen as one of the best Ridge Zins I'd had in ages. He sorta
rolled his eyes, gave me a gently/fatherly pat on the shoulder, and assured me that, of course, I was right...as
always. My group bought several cases of the StoneRaanch.
Well.....this wine has evolved into a very/very weird old Ridge Zin. Way old before its time. It was pretty hard
and tannic and reminded me more of a Recioto than anything. Not particularly attractive. Hate it when my peeps
do this to me.
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3. It was interesting to taste a bunch of Carlisle and Bedrock Zins together. Distinctly different in style, but hard
to put descriptors to it. The Bedrocks seemed to have rougher tannins and are more old-timey/old-school style of
Zins, much like the early Swans and Ravenswoods; maybe w/ a bit more exotic spiciness to them and a bit more
aromatic/perfumed in character. The Carlisles are very consistent w/ Mike's style over the yrs. They're big and
ripe, but carry the alcohol very well; no overripe character, at least when young. Though there are plenty of tannins
there; they seem rather more smooth & polished than the Bedrocks, not quite as hard and rough; perhaps a bit more
modern & polished winemaking. Guess I need to take more data points for both. Can't go wrong w/ either one I think.
Of course...followed 'em both from the very start.
Tom