2002 Gold Rush Zin Amador Cty Old Vine

[californiagirl]

Okay everybody... need a lot of help with this one.

Got this at Trader Joe's for $5.99 b/c of the label. "Vinted and Bottled by Renwood Winery for Trader Joe's". I was intrigued. BTW, 14.5% alc. I always enjoy Renwood Zins.

Strangest Zin I've tasted. Touch of fruit on the nose with black pepper and spice. (Maybe black rasberry.) I taste pepper up front and in the after taste. Med tannins. Tobacco?? And chocolate. Barely any fruit hidden in there. It might become something... I'll try again tomorrow.

I did notice that after 1/2 hour in the glass, the tobacco is fading slightly to more fruit... but very slightly.

Any thoughts?

[californiagirl]

I don't think I was very clear with what I was curious about.

Since the bottle said it was made for TJ's by Renwood... I was wondering does this mean they take their bottom of the barrel and blend it for a 2 Buck Chuck kinda deal?

It was okay- not the best Zin. Renwood makes much better than this.

[winoweenie]

CG I'm guessing that like most of their purchases TJs went to Renwood and asked them what they could buy for around 44-48 bucks a case. Renwood then took their juice from the new vines and their least attractive barrels and that was what you got. They are more interested in price points than what's in the bottle. WW

[Thomas]

"Vinted and Bottled by" likely means that the winery mainly lent its winemaking license to Trader Joe's for that wine. In other words, for that designation, all the winery has to do is bottle or blend bulk wine. Trader could have bought the bulk and wanted Renwood's name on the label, or maybe Renwood gave them the best blending/bottling price.

It's possible that Renwood could have used its low end juice, but there doesn't seem to be any percentage in using the "Vinted" designation instead of the "Produced and Bottled by" designation, which is what they could do when it is in fact their grapes and wine, and that would give it a seemingly higher designation.

I hate these confusing designations. They seem meant to fool, and they do. The likelihood is that Renwood had nothing to do with the winemaking.



[This message has been edited by foodie (edited 11-18-2004).]

[thewoodman]

Renwood used to value their name a little more than this...now it seems that they're in any market they can make a little money. Started downhill when Grandpere became a registered trademark rather than a vineyard name.