Note on the 1999 Montevina, stirred by thread below

[Bucko]

1999 Montevina, Zinfandel, Amador County, California, $12, 39,000 cases. Blackberry, cinnamon and anise highlight the nose of this medium-bodied, nicely balanced wine. Lush fruit and delightful black pepper flavors stand out, with modest tannins and fruit jam on the finish. Drink early before the 15.5% alcohol becomes more apparent. 87/90.

Another wine to enjoy in its youth before the whopping 15.5% alcohol becomes overbearing. It is in check at this point.

Bucko

[newsguy]

i picked up a bottle of this ($9.99) after reading bucko's recommendation. but when i opened it last night, i saw that it was the '98, not the '99 he had posted on. anyhow...

...after letting it breathe 30 minutes, i poured and sniffed. first thing to hit my nose was heat from the alcohol (this bottling's also 15.5 percent), then raspberry and a little spice. taste of same, with nice fruit on the entry and the spice being a bit more pronounced on the finish, which was of decent length. odd thing about this wine (and a real drawback for me) was its mouthfeel: very thin on the tongue, almost like water.

overall, a fairly tasty wine that went great with cheddar burgers off the grill, but at the same price i'll definitely stay with the rancho zabaco (and still wish i could find some burgess down here to compare).

[This message has been edited by newsguy (edited 09-05-2001).]