Zinfandel TN's from 11/15 wine tasting event

[Drew]

I attended the Harford Community College Foundation Red Zinfandel tasting last night featuring over 40 zinfandels. Below are some impressions.

QUIVIRA
zinfandel '00 nice $14
Tanbellini '00 bitter $24 - pass
Wine Creek Ranch '00 $24 - rich, cab like-BUY
Dieden Vinyard '00 $24 - rich and jammy-BUY

MARIETTA CELLARS
zinfandel '00 $13 nice,fruit fwd-BUY
Angeli Cuvee '00 $24 - big and jammy-BUY
zinfandel port 375ml $11 - DELICIOUS- BUY

DeLOACH
zinfandel '00 $9 basic zin nice
Barbeiri '99 $16 rich Blk Raspberry -Buy
Estate '99 $18 similar to Barbeiri- good
OFS '99 $28 tannic, big - not my style -pass
Papera '99 $16 jammy & tannic - BUY

Ridge
York Creek late harvest '00 $24 big,hot,tannic needs time

Geyserville '00 $25 thin, flacid - pass

Montevina
Amador Cty '99 $9 thin,not interesting - pass
Amador Cty port '99 $13 thin,diluted - pass
Terra D'Oro '99 $15 standard, briary,nice
Terra D'Oro Deaver '99 $18 rich,tannic -BUY
Terra D'Oro School House Road '99 $18 - this is a field blend of Zin, Barberi and Syrah - strange flavors, seemed unbalanced - Pass

CLINE
Ancient Vine '00 $16 rich,tannic,jammy -BUY
Live Oak '00 $23 similar above but elegant - BUY

RAVENSWOOD
Amador '99 $16 bitter didn't like - Pass
Napa '00 $17 too oaky - Pass
Barricia '99 $28
Big River '99 $28
Teldeschi '99 $28 The last 3 were overly oaky,tannic and bitter - not my style - Pass

SEGHESIO
Sonoma '01 $14 chocolate and jam,yum - BUY
Cortina '00 $22 brite side of zin,good - BUY
Old Vines '00 $22 standard, pass for price

RENWOOD
Sierra '00 $11 wierd, diluted w/oily mouth feel - Pass
Amador Ice 375ml $22 raspberry kool-aid sugar water - YUCK

LA CREMA
Reserve '00 $16 standard, nice

ST.FRANCIS
Old Vines '00 $17 too much wood - Pass
Pagani '98 $35 big,rich,jammy complex - BUY

RANCHO ZABACO
Chiotti '99 $19 rich,concentrated,good - BUY
Heritage '00 $11 thin,diluted compared to previous vintages - Pass

BV
Signet '99 $20 very elegant,rich - BUY

MURPHY-GOODE
Liar's Dice '00 $17 thin,diluted flavors -PASS
Snake Eyes '00 $32 rich,elegant,balanced - BUY

ALEXANDER VALLEY
Sin Zin '01 $17 rich,tannic - nice - BUY

I was the designated driver for my wife and her girlfriend so while they swallowed [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/wink.gif[/img], I spat. The affair was very nice for $30pp and was sponsered by Ronnie's Beverage Warehouse in Belair, Maryland. His next wine tasting is on February 23, WINE EXPO 2003, Featuring over 50 vendors with an additional wine seminar/Dessert wine and Champagne tasting.
Oh and BTW, I entered a drawing for a private barrel tasting for 12 persons at our local Woodhall Wine Cellars Vineyards in Baltimore County Maryland, and WON!!!!

Drew

[Bucko]

Sad about the three Rs - Ridge, Ravenswood and Renwood. They used to be at the top of the heap........

[Innkeeper]

Great report Drew. Will look for the Seghesio Sonoma. Sounds like my kind of zin.

[winecollector]

That sounds like a really great tasting for only $30 !!!

I've had some of these as well, purchased both of the Clines you've tasted, the Ridge York Creek late harvest, and the Rancho Zabacco Somoma Heritage. I was a little hesitant on purchasing the Rancho Zabacco... I bought it mainly because a chef friend of mine liked it better than Cline's Ancient Vines, so when he's around... guess which wine I will open?

btw... I didn't find the Rancho Zabbaco diluted at all, it just tasted more like a "cheaper zin" to me. But I've never had any of their previous vintages to compare to either. Maybe bottle varation perhaps?

<keeping the Cline Ancient Vines for my personal everyday drinkin' zin here>

[This message has been edited by winecollector (edited 11-17-2002).]

[Drew]

We didn't taste the Rancho Zabaco until the end and honestly at that point I was suffering palate fatigue. These were just quick impressions and not really tasting notes due to the amount of wines we sampled. the Renwood Sierra was so different than WW's notes, below this thread, made me wonder about bottle variation or an off bottle. Very enjoyable event though. Only concern I have with the zins is the increasing levels of alcohol. Several were over 16% and most in the 15% range.

Drew

[Thomas]

Drew, after a few years of wine tasting one's quick impressions often are spot on. don't knock yourself for that.

[winecollector]

At a recent dinner and tasting where I opened the 2000 Ridge York Creek Late Picked Zin, this wine was so powerful that what we drank afterward tasted weak and unimpressive... and I'm talking a 93' Cos d Estournel? About an hour later, I opened up an 89' Gruaud Larose, and got my taste buds back. I'd suggest giving the 'Zabacco Sonoma Heritage another try on its own sometime as a starter wine with dinner, it just can't compete with the "big boys."

[wondersofwine]

Glad you liked the Deloach Barbieri zin. That and the Gambogi (which wasn't in your samples) were my favorites of a horizontal tasting. (We were tasting the 2000 vintage.)
I will look for the Seghesio Sonoma and the BV Signet.

[winoweenie]

Great notes Drewski. My tasting may have been skewed by the fact I came off a sabbattical and it was one of the first bottles I drank. Probably Foodies "Cat-Release" Vineyards would have received the same accolades. WW [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/biggrin.gif[/img]