'97 Zins - top picks

[Randy Caparoso]

Okay. Just starting to get into '97s. Tasted two a couple of days ago -- both from Dry Creek Vineyards. The '97 Dry Creek "Heritage Clone" is a big boy, but quite focused; purplish ruby, with compact, jammy blackberry aromatics, and a fleshy, dense, wall-to-wall feel. The best I've ever tasted from this winery. The '97 Dry Creek "Old Vines" is more accessible; beautiful, bright, piquant raspberry jam fruitiness with some melting crayola-like oak shavings; fresh, zesty, yet densely formed fruit, medium full tannins filling a full (but not huge) body. I'd recommend both -- the "Heritage Clone," of course, for the unrepentently Zinful fanatics. Hail and well met, ye disciples of the purple tongue!

[This message has been edited by Randy Caparoso (edited 06-10-99).]