Zinfanatic

Rosenblum Cullinane Reserve Zinfandel Sonoma County

Rank:  1^st Place

Rating:  91

Approximate Price:  $45

Cutting:  Our first place wine has strong plum, black cherry, cocoa and spice characteristics.

The Rosenblum Cullinane Reserve Zinfandel from Sonoma County ranked first in our tasting.  It features strong plum, black cherry, cocoa and spice aromas and flavors with a long finish.  A fairly complex wine.  All tasters ranked this among the top wines in the tasting.

Rosenblum

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Rosenblum Monte Rosso Vineyard Zinfandel Sonoma County

Rank:  2^nd  Place

Rating:  89

Approximate Price:  $38

Cutting:  A delicious full bodied wine with black cherry, berry and tea characteristics.

Rosenblum’s Monte Rosso Vineyard Zinfandel from Sonoma County is a delicious full bodied wine that finished a close second in our tasting.  It has strong black cherry, berry and tea aromas and flavors.  Some tasters observed live, cola and smoky characteristics.

Rosenblum

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Sebastiani Zinfandel Sonoma County

Rank:  3rd Place

Rating:  84

Approximate Price:  $13

Cutting:  A simple wine with tart cherry, herbal and vanilla characteristics.

The Sebastian Zinfandel from Sonoma County is a simple, but enjoyable wine with black cherry, herbal and vanilla aromas.  On the palate, tart cherry, herbal, vanilla, spice and berry flavors come through.  This wine received the most varied ratings of wines in the tasting ranking from first to last.  Our senior Zinfanatic ranked it last.  This should appeal to those who like simple wines with tart fruit flavors.

Sebastiani

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Adler Fels Big Ass Zin Zinfandel Sonoma County

Rank:  4^th Place

Rating:  89

Approximate Price:  $18

Cutting:  An enjoyable wine with raspberry, cherry and spice characteristics.

The Adler Fels Big Ass Zin Zinfandel from Sonoma County is an enjoyable wine with raspberry, cherry and spice aromas and flavors.  Some Zinfanatics picked up cocoa and cola flavors.  This is a medium bodied wine that is a good value.

Adler Fels

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Armida Poizin Zinfandel Sonoma County

Rank:  5^th Place

Rating:  88

Approximate Price:  $20

Cutting:  A solid wine featuring blueberry, pepper and cherry aromas with cherry, leather, cola and licorice flavors.

The Armida Poizin Zinfandel from Sonoma County is a slid wine featuring blueberry, pepper and cherry aromas.  On the palate, there are cherry, leather, cola and licorice flavors.  A light to medium bodied wine.  This is a good wine, but our tasters consistently ranked it near the bottom of the Sonoma County Zinfandels.

Armida

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Sonoma County Zinfandel Preview January 2012

Sonoma County is known for high quality Zinfandels.  Follow us over the next several days as we put the following Sonoma County Zinfandels to the test:

Adler Fels Big Ass Zin Zinfandel Sonoma County (2008)

Armida Poizin Zinfandel Sonoma County (2008)

Rosenblum Cullinane Zinfandel Sonoma County (2007)

Rosenblum Monte Rosso Vineyard Zinfandel Sonoma County (2007)

Sebastiani Zinfandel Sonoma County (2007)

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Rosenblum Rockpile Road Zinfandel Rockpile

Rank:  1^st Place

Rating:  96

Approximate Price:  $35

Cutting:  Our first place wine features strong cocoa, cinnamon, vanilla, raspberry and spice characteristics.

The initial whiff of the Rosenblum Rockpile Road Zinfandel from Rockpile is like inhaling a spice cabinet.  Our first place wine features strong cocoa, cinnamon, vanilla, raspberry and spice aromas and flavors.  Some tasters noted chocolate, cherry, licorice and toasty oak characteristics.  This is a tremendous wine that was a near unanimous first place choice in spite of the great competition.  All Zinfanatics should appreciate it.

Rosenblum

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Dashe Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley

Rank:  2^nd  Place

Rating:  93

Approximate Price:  $23

Cutting:  A beautiful wine with strong plum, blueberry, licorice and pepper characteristics.

The Dashe Zinfandel from Dry reek Valley is a beautiful wine with strong plum, blueberry, licorice and pepper aromas and flavor.  Some tasters noted coffee, boysenberry and tea characteristics.  This medium to heavy textured wine with a terrific medium long finish was ranked in the top three by all of our tasters.  This is a wine that all Zinfanatics should enjoy.

Dashe

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Seghesio Rockpile Zinfandel Rockpile

Rank:  3rd Place

Rating:  93

Approximate Price:  $33

Cutting:  A delicious wine with raspberry, black cherry, plum, cinnamon and vanilla characteristics.

The Seghesio Rockpile Zinfandel from Rockpile is a delicious fruit-forward wine with raspberry, black cherry, plum, cinnamon and vanilla aromas.  Those aromas continue on the palate and are joined by smoky, licorice and herbal flavors.  A medium bodied wine with a great long finish.  This wine would take first place honors in most tastings.  All Zinfandel fans should enjoy this.

Seghesio

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Ridge Lytton Springs Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley

Rank:  4^th Place (tie)

Rating:  92

Approximate Price:  $29

Cutting:  A Zinfandel Blend that is big, complex with chocolate, blackberry, licorice and spice characteristics.

The Ridge Lytton Springs Zinfandel blend from Dry Creek Valley is a big complex wine with chocolate, blackberry, licorice and spice aromas.  The blackberry, licorice and spice continue on the palate. This is an excellent heavy textured wine with a great long finish.  The blend contains 71 percent Zinfandel, 22 percent Petite Sirah and 7 percent Carignane.

Ridge

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Ravenswood Teldeschi Vineyard Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley

Rank:  4^th Place (Tie)

Rating:  91

Approximate Price:  $35

Cutting:  A big wine with dusty plum, black cherry, licorice and spice characteristics.

This is a big wine with dusty plum, black cherry, licorice and spice aromas and flavors.  In spite of its last place finish (tie), the Ravenswood Teldeschi Zinfandel from Dry Creek Valley is an excellent heavy bodied wine with a medium to long finish.  All of our tasters were impressed with this wine.

Ravenswood

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Dry Creek Valley/Rockpile Zinfandel October 2011 Tasting Preview

Dry Creek Valley is home to some of the greatest Zinfandels in the world.  The relatively new American Viticultural Area of Rockpile is a unique small stretch of land extending northwest from Dry Creek Valley that also delivers excellent wines.  Check back over the next several days as we taste and review the Dry Creek Valley and Rockpile Zinfandels.

Dashe Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley (2007)

Ravenswood Teldeschi Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley (2007)

Ridge Lytton Springs Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley (2007)

Rosenblum Rockpile Road Zinfandel Rockpile (2007)

Seghesio Rockpile Zinfandel Rockpile (2008)

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Rombauer Zinfandel California

Rank:  1^st Place (Tie)

Rating:  93

Approximate Price:  $29

Cutting:  Our other first place wine is a powerhouse with strong plum, cocoa, black cherry, raspberry, chocolate and vanilla characteristics.

The Rombauer Zinfandel is a powerhouse wine that tied for first place in our California Zinfandel tasting.  This wine exhibits strong plum, cocoa, chocolate and black cherry aromas.  Raspberry, cocoa, vanilla, black cherry and spice flavors explode on the palate.  This is a medium textured wine with a long finish.  Some tasters ranked this first, but others ranked it third or lower.  Most Zinfanatics should enjoy it.

Rombauer

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Turley Old Vines Zinfandel California

Rank:  1stPlace (Tie)

Rating:  91

Approximate Price:  $38

Cutting:  One of our first place wines is a terrific Zinfandel with cinnamon, blackberry, oak and coffee characteristics.

The Turley Old Vines Zinfandel tied for first place in our California tasting.  It has a wonderful nose of cinnamon, blackberry, oak and coffee aromas. The same characteristics appear on the palate along with some sweet fruits and cola flavors on the finish.  This wine is medium to heavy bodied and exhibits a nice long finish.  All our tasters ranked this wine in the top two in our tasting.  Nearly all Zinfanatics should enjoy this terrific wine.

Turley

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XYZin 10 Year Old Vines Zinfandel California

Rank:  3rd Place

Rating:  90

Approximate Price:  $14

Cutting:  .An excellent value wine featuring plum, cherry, raspberry and cocoa or chocolate characteristics.

Plum, cherry and raspberry aromas and flavors are evident in the XYZin 10 Year Old Vines Zinfandel.  Additionally, strong cocoa or chocolate aromas and flavors are noticeable as is some cedar on the long finish.  One of our tasters ranked this first in the tasting.  This medium to heavy textured wine is an excellent value for the price.

XYZin

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Asti Winery Cellar No. 8 Zinfandel California

Rank:  4^th Place

Rating:  87

Approximate Price:  $9

Cutting:  This very good value wine shows raspberry, cherry and spice characteristics.

The Asti Winery Cellar No. 8 Zinfandel exhibits raspberry, blueberry, cassis and spice aromas.  On the palate, tart cherry, raspberry, and spice flavors come through.  This light textured wine is a very good value for the price.

Asti Winery

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Victory Vineyards Parcel Thirty One Zinfandel California

Rank:  5^th Place

Rating:  85

Approximate Price:  $15

Cutting:  A pleasant wine with cherry, black cherry and pepper characteristics.

The Victory Vineyards Parcel Thirty One Zinfandel features cherry, black cherry and pepper aromas and flavors.  This is a pleasant light to medium bodied wine with a little bitterness on the short to medium finish.

Victory Vineyards

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September 2011 California Zinfandel Tasting Preview

California designated Zinfandels may not have the regional-specific pedigree of wines from Dry Creek Valley, Napa Valley, Paso Robles and other AVAs, but there are still some excellent wines and good values.  Join us over the next several days as we review these five California Zinfandels:

Asti Winery Cellar No. 8 Zinfandel California (2007)

Rombauer Zinfandel California (2007)

Turley Old Vines Vineyard Zinfandel California (2008)

Victory Vineyards Parcel Thirty One Zinfandel California (2007)

XYZin 10 Year Old Vines Zinfandel California (2007)

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Castoro Cellars Zinfandel Paso Robles

Rank:  1^st Place

Rating:  91

Approximate Price:  $15

Cutting:  Our top ranked Paso Robles wine is an incredible value featuring raspberry, black cherry, vanilla, spice and cocoa characteristics.

The Castoro Cellars Zinfandel was our top ranked wine in the Paso Robles tasting based on its lovely raspberry, black cherry, vanilla, spice and cocoa aromas and flavors.  Some tasters observed licorice flavors on the long finish.  The Castoro Cellars Zinfandel ranked n worse than second among any taster.  An incredible value that all Zinfanatics should enjoy.

Castoro Cellars

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Turley Dusi Vineyard Zinfandel Paso Robles

Rank:  2^nd Place

Rating:  90

Approximate Price:  $42

Cutting:  A great wine with intense black cherry, cherry, plum, cassis, cinnamon and other spice characteristics.

The Turley Dusi Vineyard Zinfandel from Paso Robles is an intense wine with black cherry, cherry, plum, cinnamon and other spice aromas and flavor.  Some tasters noted vanilla and earthy characteristics.  A great medium bodied wine with a medium to long finish that all our tasters liked.  It should appeal to most Zinfanatics.

Turley

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