There’s nothing like a fragrant, high-alcohol berry-bomb Zinfandel
to chase away winter doldrums. So with that mission in mind, we headed
to San Francisco’s 18th Annual Zinfandel Advocates & Producers
Tasting on a recent Saturday to scout out the best bargains among the
hundreds of California Zins on offer. At last year’s festival, Lodi
stole the scene, at least among value wines: nearly every wine under
$10 was made with grapes hailing from that Central Valley appellation.
This year the Central Valley once again showed up on many a label, but
a couple other surprise regions appeared at this price point as well.
We can only hope this marks the beginning of a fruitful trend.
One geographically confused but delightfully intriguing wine was the
2006 Clockspring Zinfandel ($9) produced by Mountain View
Vintners of Novato. Yes, Novato. Fear not, the Mountain View folks have
wisely sourced their organically grown grapes from Zinfandel capital
Amador County, and they’ve created a smooth, plummy wine that’s far
lower in alcohol (13.5 percent) than the average Zin. Bad news for
those who count on a glass of this varietal to get them schnockered
during Must-See TV, but great for anyone hoping to pair a Zin with food
and avoid drowning out all competing flavors in the process. At $5.50 a
bottle by the case, this value is hard to beat.
Monterey County, an area not known for much success with Zin, was
the other surprise. Napa’s Beaulieu Vineyards has produced a
Coastal Estates Zinfandel ($8.99) that offers raspberries, black
fruit, and caramel on the nose and mellow, plum flavors on the palate.
The finish was a bit overly tannic, but to me that’s just a fine excuse
to haul out the stinky cheese.
Returning to Lodi, our favorite from last year still held up: the
nonvintage Barefoot Zinfandel ($5.99) is a berry hit parade,
with raspberries and blackberries on the nose, and more berry still on
the palate. A smooth, easy-drinking wine. Our Token Winemaker found the
2007 Ironstone Kautz Family Vineyards Zinfandel ($9.99) from
Lodi overripe and a bit too sweet, but I think this wine represents
what a lot of people seek in a Zin: a strong aroma of black fruit,
cherries, and spice upon sipping, and a strong finish. I was also on
the defensive with the 2006 Oak Ridge Vineyards Silk Oak Zinfandel
($9) from Lodi, which our Token Winemaker complained was “super
sweet.” Again, if your tastes run in that direction, the Oak Ridge’s
hugely floral and blueberry aroma, flavors of red fruit, earth, and
spice, and rich finish just might be your thing.
Spice was also a theme in this year’s offering from Alameda’s
R&B Cellars. The 2007 Swingsville Zinfandel ($11), made with
Lodi-grown grapes, had an aroma of black fruit and spice and a rich,
dry, big mouthfeel offering still more spice. Bothered by the heavily
tannic finish? Break out the Taleggio.
