November Feature: Savoring Zins

Find our most recent blog posts below, right after our Monthly Feature, and on our Wine of the Week page.

For some reason, I always associate zinfandel with autumn. It seems that as soon as the leaves start to turn and the first chill sets in, I get a craving for this rich red wine, usually high in alcohol content, with bold tastes of red fruit, chocolate, raspberries, and pepper. These characteristics make a good zinfandel the perfect accompaniment for a roasted leg of lamb or as the braising liquid for a hearty beef stew. (Obviously, I’m talking about real zinfandel and not the white impostor.)

Styles of zinfandel will, of course, vary. But for the most part, they seem to fall into two categories: the fruit-forward and the spicy. My preference has always been for those that emphasize the spiciness of this varietal; however, there seems to be an increasing number of fruit-forward zins in the market. Let your own palate be your guide.

So what makes a zinfandel good? First off, it should be full bodied with an alcohol content close to or above 13%. The nose should be rich with red fruit or berries, with undertones of spice or vanilla. On the palate, don’t always expect finesse but more often bold assertiveness: its flavors should be well defined and accompanied by supple tannins. The flavors of a truly great zin will burst forth on the palate and not fade on the finish.

Finding an affordable zin isn’t too difficult these days. Indeed, given its jug-wine roots, there are plenty of zins under $12 a bottle. (One of the best wines we tasted, Cline Zinfandel California 2007, goes for $10.99.) However, in this price range the trick is to separate the true champions of the full-bodied zinfandel style from the lightweights. It becomes a little easier to find truly exceptional zins in the $15 to $20 range.

My favorite zin producer has always been Ridge. Unfortunately, over the years, their prices have taken them out of our range here at TableWine ($20 and under).  However, we have included one in our tasting solely as a benchmark: the Ponzo Vineyard California 2007 ($24.99).

As is our custom at TableWine, we always taste the wines first by themselves and then again with food. For this tasting, we prepared a simple roast leg of lamb with garlic and rosemary, accompanied by roasted heirloom tomatoes and roasted cauliflower. We decided to taste the wines in order of their alcohol level, starting with the lowest (13.5%) to the highest (15.5%).

I might also suggest that, if you’re looking for a red for your Thanksgiving table, you might want to consider a zin. This truly American varietal provides the perfect accompaniment not only for the turkey but also for all the sweet and savory sides that make up our holiday’s feast.

We hope you will add your thoughts and opinions in a comment to this post.

Ridge Zinfandel Ponzo Vineyard California 2007 (15.5%) $24.99 This was our benchmark for the tasting and was tasted before the other wines. This blend of 95% Zinfandel and 5% Petite Syrah is ruby red in color and has a huge berry nose with hints of clove, strawberry, and smoke. Full bodied and elegant on the palate, with rich flavors of ripe strawberry and blueberry with a tart counterpoint. Its lingering finish is characterized by cloves. The wine’s elegance truly belies its high alcohol level. This wine was excellent with the lamb.	Ridge Ponzo Vineyard
Francis Coppola Diamond Collection Zinfandel 2006 (13.5%) $15.99 Garnet red in color, this wine has an earthy nose, with hints of mushroom and blackberry. Light to medium bodied, it offers stewed-fruit flavors.  The structure is unbalanced and the berry finish is rather short. Although the food enhanced this wine, it was one of the weaker ones of this tasting. (We were surprised by this wine’s showing because, in the past, we have enjoyed many of the wines in the Diamond Collection.)	Coppola Diamond Collection
Rosenblum Cellars Zinfandel California Cuvee Michelle N.V. (13.8%) $9.98 Ruby red in color, this wine has a forward nose of maraschino cherry with mild spice notes. Light to medium bodied, it has elusive jammy fruit flavors that fade too quickly. The finish is short. The wine vanished with the lamb. Another disappointment from a usually reliable Zinfandel producer.	Rosenblum Cuvee Michelle
Dancing Bull Zinfandel California 2007 (13.9%) $7.99 Ruby red in color, this wine has deep, rock-candy and cherry aromas. Medium bodied, it offers monochromatic red-cherry flavors with some earthy tobacco notes. Tobacco and spice best characterize the adequate finish. This wine showed very well with the lamb.	Dancing Bull California
Cline Zinfandel California 2007 (14%) $10.99 Ruby in color, this wine has earthy, toasty notes on the nose together with some mushroom. It is light to medium bodied, with toasted-wood flavors accompanied by an underpinning of red berries. It has good length and finishes dry with some black-pepper notes. A somewhat complex, attractive wine with balanced structure. This wine blossomed with the lamb. A star of this tasting.	Cline California
Joel Gott Zinfandel California 2008 (14.4%) $12.99 Ruby in color, this wine has a restrained nose with earthy mushroom and berry notes. It is medium bodied and well structured, with balanced fruit, tannins, and acidity. It offers red-cherry flavors complemented by hints of mushroom. It has a pleasant red-berry finish. Very good with the lamb.	Joel Gott California
Bogle Vineyards Old Vine Zinfandel California 2007 (14.5%) $9.99 Dark ruby in color, this wine has a red-berry nose with some sweet-Marsala like notes. Light to medium bodied, there is a preponderance of acidity on the palate that throws off the structure. It offers cherry flavors with some hints of spice. Finishes with spice and acidity. The lamb seemed to tame this wine’s acidic profile.	Bogle Old Vine California
Hook & Ladder Zinfandel Sonoma County Russian River Valley 2005 (14.9%) $19.99 Ruby in color, this wine has a forward, succulent nose of spice and ripe red cherries. It is medium bodied and elegant on the palate with a lot of finesse for a zin. It offers tart, juicy berry flavors accompanied by hints of spice and cloves. It has a lush, berry-note finish. “Seductive,” remarked one taster. This wine was excellent with the lamb and was another star of this tasting.	Hook & Ladder Russian River Valley
Renwood Zinfandel Old Vine Amador County 2005 (15%) $15.99 Deep red in color, this wine has a raisiny nose. On the palate, it delivers a range of flavors, ranging from dried fruits, like raisins and figs, to dark chocolate and currants. It is full bodied and big, with a lingering spice finish. It complemented the lamb nicely.	Renwood Old Vines
Ravenswood Old Vine Zinfandel Napa Valley 2006 (15.4%) $17.99 Dark red in color, this wine has burnt-sugar and cherry aromas. It is, however, awkwardly structured, with the acidity overwhelming the fruit. Its cherry flavors dissipate quickly, and the finish is tart and acidic. This wine, however, was great with the lamb. A real food wine.	Ravenswood Old Vine Napa
St. Amant Old Vine Zinfandel Mohr-Fry Ranch Lodi (15.5%) $19.99 Dark ruby in color, this wine has a surprisingly vegetal nose with some charred notes. On the palate, it is full bodied and extremely smooth, delivering plenty of strawberry and other red-berry flavors. A long, persistent finish. A disconnect with the nose. This wine was extraordinary with the lamb and considered another star of the tasting.	St. Amant Old Vine Lodi

Tagged as: red wines, Thanksgiving, zinfandel