After a Covid related hiatus, Tony and Nancy Fiore hosted OZ 2022 in their shady park-like yard near Grand Haven MI. The weather cooperated with a tradition of a fun afternoon of Zinfandel was once again upon us.

Because many of the early OZ (Only Zinfandel or Order of Zinfandel) events took place in Holland MI where L. Frank Baum was vacationing when he wrote the Wizard of Oz, the moniker with its connection to his work has endured. This year, because neither Alice nor I had any part in hosting this event, we brought wines and judged them with the other participants. The group was randomly divided into tables of five or six and each table was randomly assigned five or six wines to judge. Rod Schmidt gave the usual instructions on how to judge wine which, I must say, after all these years, most people actually seem to be following his guidelines. The score sheet is the typical American Wine Society (AWS) rating method which forces the tasters who judge the wine to focus on the components of each wine and minimizes prejudices due to one’s likes and dislikes. Yes, wine tasting at any level is subjective and it will always influence one’s score to some extent, but it should be only a minor influence, not the driving force. I also explain to my table an old lesson I learned many years ago from the Joe’s (Joe Shagrin and Joe Borrello) who had a vested interest in giving out gold medals. They insisted that a judge should assume every wine is a perfect 20 point gold medal to start with and then subtract points from any component of the wine which falls short. That method has served the Michigan Vintner aka: “he who has never met a wine he didn’t like” very well. It almost guarantees that unless a wine is flawed, it will score somewhere between 13-20 points. On the flip side, if one starts at zero and adds points for especially pleasing attributes, it is highly unlikely that any wine no matter the quality can ever score more than 13 points. Sounds simple and it is. Whether a wine gives a particular taster a euphoric buzz or not should not matter in the overall ranking.

Each wine is first judged blind at a table of five or six tasters. Everyone knows that they are tasting red Zinfandel but no one knows which brand or who brought it. So, not knowing what anyone else brought, there are duplicates which ironically are rarely given the same score. The second place wine from each table is then judged again by a select group of judges who the Lakeshore Chapter of the American Wine Society feels are both competent and fair. From the second place wines, the top scorer is then added to the first place wines and those are judged again by a different panel of very competent judges. As I said, most of the participants get it and judge fairly but when I list the scores* I will make note of a few scores that seem a bit low considering my own scores and scores when judged a second or third time at the final judging table.

I personally did not taste a single flawed wine at this event They were all good, just a matter of degree. Here are my notes plus scores from the initial table and from the final judging. As you read this, keep in mind my own prejudice. This is why tasting blind is so important for honest judging. In tastings after tastings for the past 50 years I consistently prefer moderately priced mass produced wines. My other prejudice is wineries who have been making wine a very long time and purchased or contracted vineyards long before they became chic.

WIZARD AWARD FIRST PLACE

2020 Cline Family Vineyard Ancient Vines Zinfandel, Contra Costa County CA brought by Mark Kelley (SRP $26 but I have seen it as low as $12 at Costco) is a classic example of my preference. This wine is made from grapes grown on a property planted in the 1800’s and purchased generations ago by Fred Cline’s grandfather when dry farmed Italian varietals were considered blending plonk and priced accordingly. It is still cheap considering the quality. It was my highest scoring wine of the event though at the final judging, I preferred a couple of the older wines. It starts out in typical California Zinfandel style with fat ripe berry jam but ramps it up immediately upon touching the tongue with fresh classy Cab-like structure and intriguing spice. That structure stays solid throughout the finish coating the palate in silky smooth tannin and more spice. After an hour of airing, I found that the typical Zin aroma morphed into a complex array of fruit liqueur scents with alcohol driven kirsch, poire, and himbergeist lingering through the finish. My initial score 19/20, my final score an hour later 17/20, initial table score 17.3/20, final judging 18/20 first place

DOROTHY AWARD SECOND PLACE

2017 Klinker Brick Old Vine Zinfandel, Lodi CA brought by Phil Grefe (SRP $18 can be found at Total Wine for $13) stood out and out scored its peers by a wide margin at the initial judging. Again, big fat classic California Zin nose and a very rich texture more like Cab or Merlot in mouthfeel. Good berry essence that carries through the long soft tannic finish. My score 18/20, initial table score 18.7/20, final judging 17.8/20 second place

SCARE CROW AWARD THIRD PLACE

2019 Oakridge Winery Old Soul Old Vine Zinfandel, Lodi CA brought by Roger Schiefler (SRP $16 Total Wine $12) has an almost opaque black red appearance but the nose has more of a strawberry jam-like aroma which makes the wine seem a lot more transparent than it looks. Likewise, it seems surprisingly light on the palate too. It is a very likable wine but not what I normally think of as Zin. Perhaps it would have been better a year or two ago. My socre15/20*, initial table score 18.3, final judging 17.7/20 third place

TIN MAN AWARD FOURTH PLACE

2018 Ridge Zinfandel, Paso Robles CA brought by Alice Cain (SRP $40 can be found at Total Wine for $32) Ridge can be said to have put Paso Robles on the map about 50 years ago and they’ve followed up with great expressions of class over power every year since. The highly complex nose of wild forest berries flows seamlessly into a palate of spice, earth and tobacco with maybe even evidence of wild fermentation. The finish is likewise soft rich and long while nicely balanced. As much as this wine would be a wonderful dinner companion, I’m afraid it is maybe a year or two too old for a wine competition. My score 16/20, initial table score 14.4*, final judging 17.3 fourth place

COWARDLY LION AWARD FIFTH PLACE

2018 Montevina Terra d’Oro Zinfandel, Amador CA brought by Rich Karlese (SRP $20 can be found for about $15) is another example of a true Amador pioneer originally a hobby winery in the 1970’s now owned by Trinchero Family (Sutter Home). So, again, anyone who has visited Montevina can attest that this is no artisanal boutique. Sometimes bigger is better. This was my top wine in the final judging and yes, I do like the impact that heavily toasted new oak barrels has on wine. Right from the beginning, the very ripe jam and condensed fruit aromas scream ZIN! But, what I like most about this wine is the very aggressive surprise of orange peel and clove that comes out of nowhere the instant that the wine hits one’s tongue. I call wines such as this “desert island” wines in that if I was destined to drink only one wine for the rest of my days, I would never tire of a wine that offers up a surprise with every sip. The finish is just as invigorating as the start with a pleasant tingle and a barely bitter herb nuance which is neither acidic nor sizzling. My score 18+/20, initial table score 14.2/20*, final judging 17.2/20 fifth place

GLINDA (the good witch) AWARD SIXTH PLACE

2020 American Vintners Cask & Barrel Bourbon Barrel Aged Zinfandel, Lodi CA brought by Nancy Andreano (SRP $14) exemplifies why most winemaking manuals cardinal rule of cooperage is to never ever use a Bourbon barrel for wine making. Yes, I understand that winemakers are trying to save money, be environmentally friendly by reusing and capitalize on the upward trend of all things Bourbon. But, it doesn’t bring out the best in wine. The nose starts out light, the palate is easy, light and simple, and though the balance is good while finishing clean and fresh, it just doesn’t seem like Zin without any fat or optimally ripe fruit somewhere in there. Obviously, it was well liked by those who tasted it initially. My score 15/20*, initial table score 16.4/20, final judging 17/20 sixth place

MUNCHKIN AWARD SEVENTH PLACE

2019 Hall Ranch Zinfandel, Paso Robles CA brought by Tony Fiore (SRP $20) was one of the deepest inky black wines that we tasted and the nose showed plenty of ripe black fruit to match. However, on the palate, it seemed quite understated with mild tobacco and earth spice which somehow just didn’t seem like enough. I liked the edginess of grip on the palate and the long finish. I’m probably missing something here because this was the highest rated wine on the first go through. My score 14/20*, initial table score 19.8/20, final judging 15.3 seventh place

SOME OTHER WINE THAT I ENJOYED

2020 St. Amant Marian’s Vineyard Old Vine Zinfandel Lodi CA (SRP $35) is what I call ZIN: deep color and demonstrative ripe jammy black fruit enveloped in toasty oak that carries from start to finish. This wine has ample stuffing to balance the sweet chocolate-like oak though I can see why some who are not big oak hounds like me may have rated it lower. In fact, the 2019 tasted at a different table received an 8/20 from one taster who felt is was flawed. My score 18/20, initial table score 16.5/20 2019 Carnivore (Gallo) Zinfandel CA (SRP $10)is my go-to inexpensive Zin. Maybe not as big as some but there is plenty of fine fruit and mouth-feel that makes it a very (dare I say it?) classy presentation. It is especially endearing when one considers the price and that the fine long fruity finish continues to build and build on the palate and in the glass. My score 18/20, initial table score 16/20 2020 Seghesio Family Vineyards Zinfandel, Sonoma CA ($25) hits the sweet spot between oak and fruit; boatloads of both. Though fat and ripe there is ample acid to keep the wine fresh and aggressively vivid with lots of texture and finish. I rate it very close to “desert island” in stature. My score 16+/20, initial table score 16.3/20 2020 ASV Wines Trader Joe’s Growers Reserve Zinfandel, Paso Robles CA ($5.49) is the cheapest single appellation California wine I could find in Ann Arbor. This is not a big monster Zin, but it does have a very typical fully ripe fruit nose with good body, structure and pleasant dried spice earth nuance that carries into the surprisingly well-packed finish. When I say I prefer inexpensive mass produced wine, I’m not kidding! Looks like a few others agree. My score16/20, initial table score 16.9/20

DRUM ROLL PLEASE………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… And now for the coveted TOTO AWARD FEWEST POINTS, LAST PLACE

2021 Caleo Zinfandel, IGT Puglia IT brought by Becky Niemiec (SRP $15) is a wine similar to what I almost brought. Trader Joe’s has a Puglia Zin for $4.99 which I’ve had and enjoyed. I guess what I might label “concentrated dry fruit essence and rustic charm”, others might label “spoiled”. This type of wine from this area typically employs the “appassimento” (Italian for passionate) process which, is a way of picking healthy grapes full of flavor and vigor and then drying them to some degree thereby concentrating the flavors to what could be called a late harvest style. Maybe it is an acquired taste or maybe it is just not a style that does well in competition with California Zin. Either way, Becky, don’t be turned off by Puglia Zin (Primativo). It goes well with foods of all types and offers complexity well beyond its price tag to ponder while reflecting in a peaceful moment. Initial table score 11/20 dead last.

So, there you have it. Unlike past tastings in which I did not participate in the judging and had time to taste every wine, what I’ve listed here is only a glimpse of some of my favorites. None of the wines, in my book scored less than 13 and most 15+ on my sheet. Zin is a wine that reflects everything good about the California wine grape scene. As you can see, even the best are very affordable.

Enjoy in Good Health,

A Brian Cain, the Michigan Vintner

*Any score with an asterisk should be considered at least 16-17 points considering it was compared to a half dozen similar wines and deemed the best of the bunch.