ZAPs 11^TH ANNUAL ZINFANDEL TASTING

Several thousand zinfandel zealots converged on the Festival and Herbst Pavilions at Fort Mason, San Francisco January 26, 2002. The steady rain didn’t diminish the number of participants or dampen the spirit of the dedicated throng of Zinners who braved the elements to partake in the tasting of multi-vintage selections of about 272 wineries. One hundred six of the wineries (A-G) were located in the smaller Herbst Pavilion, which was a tight fit compared to the larger Festival Pavilion, which housed 166 wineries in a more comfortable setting. Although most wines were from the 1999 and 2000 vintages, some producers brought 1997 and 1998. Some wineries, like Ridge, offered more than four different wines for tasting. Although I concentrated my tasting efforts on the 2000 vintage, I did sneak in a few 1999s. Of particular note, was the 1999 Hartford, Fanucchi-Wood Road, Russian River Valley, which was one of the best I tasted and merited a score of 95 ($33).

2000 VINTAGE

Since there was no way I could taste 200+ wines, I concentrated my efforts on producers that have a track record of taking Zinfandel to the next level. Most, if not all, were barrel samples, and, hence, not quite finished. What follows is an alphabetical listing by producer with appellation, score (range), cost, and telephone number. ALL ARE 2000 VINTAGE ZINFANDELS.

Brown Estates Vineyard, Napa Valley, 89-92, $32, 707-963-2435. Semi-rich with good flavors and finish.

Chateau Potelle Winery, VGS, Mt. Veeder, Napa Valley, 88-92, $TBD, 707-255-9440. A sophisticated Zin (as compared to a working class Zin J) with moderate richness and lots of oak.

Chateau Souverain, Winemaker’s Reserve, Sonoma, 88-92, $TBD, 707-433-8281. Although lacking real intensity, it has excellent structure and may show better after bottling. Release September 2002.

D-Cubed Cellars, Black-Sears, Howell Mountain, 92-96, $45, 707-963-5212. The medicine dropper pours J made it difficult to properly evaluate this wine. However, the fruit was concentrated and the finish rich. Only 100 cases produced with a release date of June 2002.

DeLoach Vineyards, OFS, Russian River Valley, 92-96, $50, 707-526-9111. Fifty bucks for a Zin!?! It better be awesome. Rich, semi-jamy fruit, good balance, long finish. Is that $50 worth? Hmm.

Fife, Whaler Vineyard, Mendocino, 88-92, $20, 707-485-0323. This relative cheapie showed a little sulfur dioxide in the nose (which will go away), and interesting flavors in the mouth. It’s on my “try again after release” list.

Geyser Peak, Sonoma County, 86-88, $17, 800-255-9463. Speaking of relative bargains, and an 800 number to boot, this baby possesses moderate levels of jammy fruit and a decent finish.

Hendry Block 7, Napa Valley, 90-94+, $TBD, 707-222-2130. Hendry Block 7 is always yummy, and this darling is no exception. This deep red zin shows good concentration and a spicy finish all encased in a firm tannic structure. Release June/July 2002.

Outpost Estate Wines, Howell Mountain, 90-93+, $TBD, 707-965-1718. Good color, (appealing) celery salt nose, spicy finish. Try again list. Release October 2002.

Ravenswood, Monte Rosso, Sonoma Valley, 88-92+, $30, 888-669-4679. Very nice wine with semi-rich flavors and good balance. Try again list.

Ridge Vineyards, Lytton Springs, Dry Creek Valley, 92-96?, $TBD, 408-867-3233. Perennially, one of the best Zins produced, this bully is very dark and big, but too tannic and funky now. Needs time to equilibrate. Always a better ager than most zins. Definitely on try again list.

Ridge Vineyards, Geyserville, Sonoma, 88-92, $TBD. Always very drinkable and very good, this vintage is right on the mark. Drink on the young side. Less than 75% Zin.

Rosenblum Cellars, Lyons, Napa Valley, 92-96, $35, 510-865-7007. A very tasty morsel with an inviting deep red color, rich, smooth mouth-feel and a long, strong finish. July 2002 release.

Turley Wine Cellars, Hayne Vineyard, Napa Valley, 94-98, $TBD, 707-963-0940. Without question, the best Zin Turley makes. Great color, rich, jamy fruit with a classy, very faint peppery finish. A sculpted pedigree wine.

In summary, the 2000 Zinfandel vintage is an excellent one, and I highly recommend it. The wines will not be available until summer and fall 2002, at which time a more definite accounting will be made. If a wine is not listed above, I either didn’t taste it or found it to be lacking. My goal is to give an introduction to the vintage through tasting select wines. It’s up to you to determine your personal favorites. Two self-evident truths for Zinfandel are: (1) Most don’t age well, so consume them within their first 4 years of life while they are deliciously fresh, and (2) Old Vine doesn’t necessarily translate into quality wine, although they will generally cost more.

Thank you ZAP for yet another well-orchestrated, monster tasting. For those of you who haven’t heard of ZAP (Zinfandel Advocates and Producers), it is "…a non-profit, educational organization dedicated to advance the public’s knowledge of, and appreciation for Zinfandel, and its unique place in American culture and history." Grady Wann is President and Rebecca Robinson is Executive Director and can be reached at zaprr@oro.net. Web site. zinfandel.org.

January 31, 2002.

Contact: alchemist@wineperspective.com