2003 Turley Zinfandel - Ueberroth Vineyard

Dark plum/ruby-hued, the 2003 Zinfandel Ueberroth Vineyard (500 cases, 15.4% alcohol) emerges from a limestone vineyard in the Paso Robles area that was planted in 1874. This wine has a sour cherry, tart style with dark ruby color, decided minerality, relatively noticeable acidity, and a crisp, somewhat austere personality. It is the least hedonistic of the Turley Zinfandels.

We pitched in with Barry and Laurie and cooked a 'HUGE" Italian dinner with this as one of the wines.

2005 JC Cellars The Impostor

Another wine we served with Thanksgiving dinner. This is a blend of 75% Zinfandel, 11% Syrah, 10% Petite Syrah, Mouvedre & Viognier.

We opened two bottles before dinner to drink with appetizers. The wine was a huge hit - it is very different, complex, and without the heat that a high alcohol content Zinfandel sometimes displays.

Wine Spectator 92 points: As exotic as it is potent, with deep blackberry liqueur, sandalwood and wild game aromas and rich, ripe cassis, blueberry and licorice flavors that power on toward the bold, spicy finish.

2004 Turley California Zinfandel Old Vines

This wine comes from one of the premier producers of Zinfandel in California. We served it before dinner at Thanksgiving.

It is hard to find a bad Turley wine. This one was judged a winner from the first sip. The Old Vines designation is made with grapes from Napa Valley, even though Turley winery is located in the Central Coast area.

Deep black cherry, rich chocolate, licorice, and herbs with a long finish. Not showing the alcohol heat you normally get with Turley.

2005 Limerick Lane Zinfandel "Collins Vineyard"

The winery and Collins Vineyard are located on the southern edge of Healdsburg in Sonoma County, California. Mike Collins, who has been farming the land here for nearly 30 years, owns the winery and vineyard. The vineyard dates back to 1910 and there are some vines from that era still in production!

Winemaker's tasting notes: Dark ruby red colors lead to aromas of red fruit, raspberry, cinnamon, vanilla and barrel char. The palette follows the nose with flavors of raspberry, red currant, vanilla, warm brown spice and white pepper. A beautifully balanced wine with a bold red fruit entry, rich and elegant but not overwhelming. A secure and well structured middle with supple tannins and a spicy, fruity finish. A magnificent example of the restrained use of oak. Another in a long line of food friendly Zinfandels from one of Sonoma County's premier producers.

Food and Wine Magazine's Wine Guide for 2008 gave Limerick Lane 2005 Collins Vineyard Zinfandel 4 out of 4 stars and ranked it in the Top Five Best of the Best. "A superbly balanced, elegant Zinfandel with a deep, earthy minerality rounded out by ripe juicy, fruit and peppery spice."

We served this wine with Chicken Cacciatore and a salad. It is an excellent example of Sonoma County Zinfandel.

2005 Papapietro Perry Russian River Valley Zinfandel

Another very nice wine from Papapietro Perry, located outside of Healdsburg. We served this wine with an Italian meal.

Winemaker's Tasting Notes: Deep garnet in color, leading to an aromatic nose of delicate oak, cherry and white pepper. This is an elegant, full-bodied wine with pleasing complexity and flavors of bright cherry, a hint of spice, and a delicate pepper finish. Smooth tannins add structure and mouth feel, but don't overpower. This Zinfandel is perfect for lighter meat dishes and spicy seafood fare.

Average community rating on Cellartracker is 87.9 points. Many people tend to drink their red wines when they are too young (the wines, not the people) and then give a wine a lower rating. Our rating for this Zinfandel would be higher.

2005 Carlisle Zinfandel Sonoma County

Carlisle Winery is a small Sonoma County winery specializing in the production of old-vine, vineyard designated zinfandels and red Rhone varieties (syrah, grenache, mourvèdre, and petite sirah). This Zinfandel is a blend of grapes from vineyards in the Alexander, Russian River, Dry Creek, and Sonoma Valleys.

Winery tasting note: Beautiful dark ruby garnet. Aromas of red and black raspberries are intertwined with notes of smoke and earth. Full bodied and creamy on entry but with pleasing tannins and acidity on the finish.

Served this wine while watching the election results along with a meal of pasta with meatballs and salad. Go Obama!.

2004 Ravenswood Zinfandel, Big River Vineyard

For most California wine consumers, Ravenswood Winery just outside of downtown Sonoma, is synonymous with Zinfandel. This is one of their Vineyard Designate wines that we acquired when we were members of their wine club.

This is a classic Zin from one of the oldest vineyards in northern Sonoma County's Alexander Valley. The vines date back to the 1890s.

This Zinfandel is a fruit bomb. Rated: 89-91. Full red-ruby. Bitter cherry, plum and licorice on the nose. Soft, sweet and easygoing. Enticing flavors of black raspberry, sweet cherry and milk chocolate. With aeration, this quickly gained in thickness and weight. Zinfandel in a merlot style.

2005 Turley Zinfandel - Duarte Vineyard

Had several friends over to watch the Olympics on television. Slow cooked a pork shoulder on the BBQ to make pulled pork sandwiches. Side dishes of cole slaw and mac and cheese. Caren made a "pina colada" cake for dessert.

This was one of two wines we served. From a vineyard in Contra Costa County. Turley is one of the premier California Zinfandel producers.

Critic review - "Dark red. High-toned, fruit-driven aromas of dark cherry and raspberry. Dense, sappy and sweet, with a candied, liqueur-like character to its red berry and spice flavors. Offers an enticing sugar/acid balance." I agree. Excellent Zinfandel that wasn't overly spicy. Paired well with the BBQ sauce on the pork.

Consistently rated at 90 points and above by all the wine critics and members of Cellartracker.

2002 Ravenswood Zinfandel - Barricia Vineyard

From an old vines vineyard in the Sonoma Valley. Flavors of blackberries, raspberries, allspice, and vanilla. Wine Enthusiast rating 90 points. We have several bottles from this vintage and later years.

Served the wine with BBQ hamburgers and salad. Still adjusting to real American fare after our trip to Burgundy.

2005 Papapietro Perry Russian River Valley Zinfandel

So....here's the story. Caren's brother was in the same grade in high school with a girl (and Caren was in the same grade as her brother) who moved to San Francisco sometime in the 1970s for a job in the software industry. Caren recently ordered an alumni directory from her high school (why, I have no idea). In the directory, the girl who knew Caren's brother was listed as being one of the owners of a winery in Healdsburg, California. She is married to one of the founders of Papapietro Perry winery. We have been members of their wine club for a couple of years and visited the winery in April (before discovering the old connection). Small world!

This winery in the Dry Creek Valley area of Sonoma County specializes in Pinot Noir. They actually produce about nine different Pinot Noirs a year. They also produce a very good Zinfandel (tonight's wine).

The grapes for this Zinfandel come from three Russian River Valley vineyards; two of their Pinot producers, the Leras Family Vineyards located off Woolsey Road in Santa Rosa and the Elsbree Vineyards in Windsor, and Windsor Oaks vineyard in Windsor. They cold-soaked the grapes for three days and once the fermentation began they hand punched the grapes in open-top fermenters, a method not commonly used with Zinfandel. The wine was then aged for 17 months in Francois Frères oak barrels, just like their Pinot Noirs.

Deep garnet in color leading to an aromatic nose of delicate oak, cherry and white pepper. This is an elegant, full-bodied wine with pleasing complexity, with flavors of bright cherry, a hint of spice, and a delicate pepper finish.

We served the wine with a simple dinner of spaghetti and meatballs accompanied with a salad.