2000 Peachy Canyon (Incredible Red) Zinfandel

[zenda2]

IK's right, most years Zin routinely comes in at 15% but yesterday MSN's SLATE online magazine ran an article that touches on this subject.

http://slate.msn.com/id/2092511/

From said article:

"In just about every winemaking region, summers are getting hotter, which means riper grapes. The riper the grapes, the lower the wine's acidity and the higher its alcohol content. Nowadays, wines routinely tip the scale at 14 and 15 percent alcohol; toss in the jammy fruit—another consequence of excessive heat in the vineyard—and what you get are massive, brooding wines that snarl at any food that comes near.

This might seem a result to be avoided, but in fact many vintners want their wines overripe and over-the-top and so are leaving grapes on the vine longer—"maximum hang time," in vineyard-speak ("dude" optional)—pushing the extraction (i.e., squeezing as much color and tannins out of the grape skins as possible), soaking their wines in new oak, and generally doing everything they can to turn out cabernets and merlots that Make a Statement. This is particularly true in California and Australia, both of which pump out lots of high-alcohol wines that have the viscosity of motor oil.

Winemakers make these confections because there's a market for them, and it's easy to understand why: The wines are fruity, forward, and deliver a quick buzz. They are also popular within influential segments of the wine press, which is no accident—many of these behemoths are essentially pageant wines, designed to stand out in comparative tastings."

[This message has been edited by zenda2 (edited 12-16-2003).]