2006 Ravenswood Old Vines, Sonoma: Big and sturdy with spicy black cherry and boysenberry fruit. Well endowed but not hot and porty like the 06 Ravenswood Teldeschi I had a few weeks ago (and did not care for), this is more a claret style. Ageable, and very very good. Paid $19 on close-out.
Also picked up a bottle of the 2006 Renwood Old Vines, Amador County. I'm on record as not being a Renwood fan, but that's less about the quality of any single bottle of Zin which generally always tastes just fine than because if you go the winery all the wines taste alike, regardless of the grape. This 06 is typical Renwood: redolent with Amador raspberry-spice fruit, polished, and more feminine than masculine--almost a pinot noir stand-in, and you couldn't say that of many zins. And that made it especially good last night partnered with a Paul Prudhomme recipe for spicy roast chicken with gingersnap gravy. Paid $12 locally, another close-out.