Dr. Vydareny, known to his wine tasting pals as “Dr. Zin”, can always be counted on to come up with an assortment of great Zins that we don’t normally encounter in Western Michigan.   Once again, he came up with several that most of us had not experienced with a few old favorites nestled in for context.

My general description for California Zin typically involves a ripe, full, fruity bouquet often with notes of chocolate and fruit preserves with a smooth glycerol mid-palate and surprisingly little tannin or astringency in the finish.  In all, these high alcohol brutes come across a lot like the month of March starting like a lion and finishing like a lamb.

As usual, this was a double blind tasting.   Only Dr. Zin knew what was being tasted.   Though he did not tell us that he was pouring Zinfandel, one had to guess that if he was in charge of selecting the wine, it would almost certainly be California Zinfandel.   As usual, the tasting notes are mine, the first score is mine, the ranking is the group ranking and the bold score is a composite of the group score.   We do not collect a group score on the warm up wines or any wines served after the actual tasting.  A score in the 70’s may appear to be a dismal score, but, in our “rude lexicon”, it is actually “a sound wine without outstanding merit or defect”.   Keep in mind that a group score of, say, 75 is an average of many scores; some fairly high (maybe an 88 or 90) and some fairly low (like less than 50 even). Here is our tasting of California Zinfandel:

WARM UP WINES

2015 Original Dark Horse Limited Release California Zinfandel (14.5% abv.) $8 This first wine right out of the gate had everyone perplexed.   We almost started to think that Dr. Zin was not pouring Zinfandel!   Turns out he was, but, my first impression was that of a rather mild Beaujolais Nouveau.  There was nothing about it that said Zinfandel.  One of the tasters really liked the Dark Horse and compared it very favorably to a Rhone style Grenache.  Perhaps I am being too narrow in my expectation that Zinfandel should be big, rich and ripe.  My score 62 points.

2015 Carnivor California Zinfandel (14.5% abv.) $11 Back when Charlie Wagner (founder of Caymus) made Zinfandel, it tasted like this.  This is an awesome Zinfandel.  It is soft, ripe, in perfect balance with loads of black fruit and just enough sweet oak to frame it.  My score 96 points.

FIRST FLIGHT

2015 Dry Creek Vineyard Heritage Vines Sonoma Zinfandel blend (14.5% abv.) $17 I have been drinking a fair amount of young Bordeaux lately and this wine struck me in its similarity.  Was Dr. Zin playing with us?   Did he actually slip a Merlot into his Zin tasting?  The wine had fine balance and though not big or weighty, there is persistence and good texture to the fruit. My score 83 points, group rank 6th place, group score 87 points

2015 Sobon Estate Fiddletown Zinfandel (15.5% abv.) $20 I cannot imagine a better Zinfandel than this.  The fruit in the nose is so bright, vivid, raw and fresh berry-like that it is more like picking fruit in a berry patch than eating preserves out of the jelly jar.  The high alcohol volatilizes fruit throughout the palate and packs a slightly bitter, spicy splash of green herbs in the finish.  My score 100 points, group rank 2nd place, group score 92 points

2015 Bedrock Schmiedt Road Vineyard Lodi Old Vine Zinfandel (14.5% abv.) $30 This vineyard was established in 1915.  It is reminiscent of yester year’s Cal-Ital “Burgundy” with some fermentation smells along with a cooked carrots/tomato bouquet and a dusty, spicy, wet dog-like nuance throughout.  My score 75, group rank 7th place, group score 75 points

2015 Scouts Honor Venge Vineyard Napa Valley Red (Zinfandel blend) (15.3% abv.) $37 This is a fine, clean, elegant (if you can call a 15.3% wine elegant), spicy Zinfandel with an interesting nuance not unlike the smell of a grain mill on a spring day.  Though very ripe, long, fat and lush, it is neither clumsy nor chunky. My score 89 points, group rank 1st place, group score 97 points

 SECOND FLIGHT

2015 Seghesio Sonoma County Zinfandel (14.8% abv.) $19 This California stalwart is a lot like the Dry Creek Zin in its straightforward fruit, good texture and firm finish: again, very Merlot-like though just a tad on the lean side.  My score 82 points, group rank 3rd place, group score 90 points

2015 Rombauer California Zinfandel (15.9% abv.) $29 Complex forest compost smells with exotic dried spices and dried fruit not unlike vermouth or bitters; Cab-like currant flavors mingle in creating a wonderfully hefty aftertaste.  At least one taster found this wine too “sweet”.   My guess is that the perceived sweetness has less to do with any residual sugar and more to do with the high alcohol.  I’m not certain that our brains and pallets are capable of differentiating high alcohol form high sugar.  My score 95 points, group rank 4th place tie, group score 89 points

2015 Field Recordings Old Potrero Vineyard Arroyo Grande Paso Robles Zinfandel blend (14.9% abv.) $22 The odd chemical/Calamine lotion-like smells in the rather harsh nose fortunately subside and give way to plum, prune and citrus notes.  It has ample body and a rich mouth feel with a hint of green herbs in the finish.  My score 85 points, group rank 8th (last) place, group score 73 points

2015 Bedrock Esola Vineyard Amador County Zinfandel (14.4% abv.) $38 The fine strawberry fruit in the nose has a slightly lean, briskness that foretells a wine with backbone and good texture throughout the middle and finish.  My score 90 points, group score 4th place tie, group score 89 points

 AFTERWARDS

1997 Hanna Vineyards Reserve Pourroy Vineyard Alexander Valley Zinfandel (14.7% abv.) As is Dr. Zin’s custom, he came around with a “guess what vintage” post log to the tasting.  This 20 year old Zin is a beauty!  Nice deep red brick color and fine mature chocolate-like bouquet transitions to the solid mid-palate and silky finish.  Holding up well.  My score 88 points.

As you can see by the scores, I liked them all except for the first warm up wine and the Bedrock Schmiedt Vineyard.   The group liked all of them except for the Bedrock Schmiedt Vineyard and the Field Recordings.  Though everyone liked the second warm up better than the first, I was the only one who found the first to be on the lower end of “a sound wine without outstanding merit or defect”.

Enjoy in Good Health,

A Brian Cain, the Michigan Vintner