Haywood, Sonoma Valley, Los Chamizal Vineyard, Estate, Zinfandel 2006 The nose puts together many facets of Zin.  There’s pruniness, black pepper and a sense of Port. In the mouth, this is a structured Zin, supporting plenty of fruit and a long finish. Grown, produced and bottled in Sonoma 14.6% $30 at the winery Haywood Winery

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Annapolis Winery, Sonoma Coast, Zinfandel 2005 This is a very jammy Zin. Proprietors are the Scalabrini family. P&B in Annapolis 16.6% $26 at the winery Annapolis Winery

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Dashe, Dry Creek Valley, Late Harvest Zinfandel 2007 Candied berries in a glass, leaping out to greet your nose! The mouth repeats this theme in a very luscious, super-fruity way - brilliant. The grapes measured 40 degrees brix at harvest and the final wine has 9% RS. P&B in Oakland 14.1% $20.49 at Bottle Barn [...]

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Amphora, Dry Creek Valley, Zinfandel 2006 There’s a healthy dose of black pepper in the nose along with jammy fruit. This Zin is very polished in the mouth, very dense and full of fruit. P&B by Hutchinson Wines in Healdsburg 15.4% $26 at the winery Amphora Wines

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Stryker Sonoma, Alexander Valley, Estate, Old Vines, Zinfandel 2006 The fruits are, fresh, stewed and jammy, all at the same time and dusted with black pepper. The mouth is vibrantly fruity with a little warmth and a touch of tannin. P&B in Geyserville 15.2% $26 at the winery for the previous vintage (the ‘06 is [...]

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Rosenblum Cellars, Sonoma Valley, Maggie’s Reserve Zinfandel 2005
This wine is very sweet smelling, with a sense of pastry dough dabbed with vanilla. The mouth is quite rich, full of sweet-appearing fruit - just luscious. Some of the vines that gave us the grapes for this wine hail from 190. P&B in Alameda 14.8% $35.49 at [...]

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Elyse, Napa Valley, Morisoli Vineyard, Zinfandel 2006 Brown spices jump out in the nose while the mouth is supple and densely fruity. The grapes are sourced from Morisoli in Rutherford, west of Highway 29 at the base of Mount St. John. Cellared and bottled in Oakville 15.2% $26.49 at Bottle Barn Elyse

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Shenandoah Vineyards, Amador County, Special Reserve, Zinfandel 2007 This is an easy quaffer that delivers the fruit of Zin in a light-bodied format. The grapes were organicaly grown in California’s gold country. P&B in Plymouth 14.4% $7.99 at Bottle Barn
Shenandoah Vineyards

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Dancing Bull, California, Winemaker’s Reserve, Zinfandel 2006 There are smells of baked berries and vanilla in a pie, a sweet essence that is mingled with a fresh grinding of black pepper. In the mouth, this is a light-bodied and soft Zin, with a light touch of tannin and warmth as well as sweet, lightly cooked [...]

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We recently visited with Carol and Mitch at their winery in Santa Rosa. Carol makes Zin from grapes sourced throughout the state of California. One of the gems that we tasted was sourced from San Bernardino County while two others hailed from nearby in Sonoma County.
Carol Shelton, Russian River Valley, Robert Rue Vineyard, Wood Road, [...]

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Carol Shelton, Mendocino County, Cox Vineyard, Wild Thing, Zinfandel 2004 Jammy berry and black pepper star in the nose while the mouth features an almost liqueur-like sense of blackberries. V&B in Sebastopol 16% $29.99 at the Wine Merchant Carol Shelton

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Calstar Cellars, El Dorado County, Cardanini Estate, Zinfandel, Alta Zin 2006 This is certainly a jammy wine, light-bodied and fruity with the weight of the alcohol underlying it. Owner and Winemaker Rick Davis. P&B in Sebastopol 15.1% $18.75 at the winery Calstar

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Bella, Dry Creek Valley, Late Harvest, Zinfandel 2004 If you can imagine drying some blackberries and  dusting them with black pepper, that’s what this wine smells like. The jammy fruit really pops in the mouth and is beautifully sweet. P&B in Healdsburg 14.0% price unknown Bella

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Barry Collier has created a paradise for his grapes above the Dry Creek Valley. If you were a grape, you would want to be planted under his care. The hillside vineyards are steep and the views are incredible. The highest points are above the fog line, where the grapes benefit from a bigger bath of [...]

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Paradise Ridge Winery, Russian River Valley, Ode to Joy, Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc 2007
Lots of complexity in this wine, with honey galore - very reminiscent of Sauternes. This dessert wine was crafted to honor the memory of Marijke Byck-Hoenselaars. 44 degrees brix at harvest. Winemaker Dan Barwick. P&B in Santa Rosa. 13.2% $28.99 for a [...]

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Alexander Valley Vineyards, Dry Creek Valley, Redemption Zin, Zinfandel 2006 A moderate amount of jammy fruit and black pepper drive the nose while the palate is gripping, light-bodied and a little warm. P&B in Healdsburg 14.5% $18.99 at Bottle Barn AVWine
Robert Rue, Russian River Valley, Wood Road, Reserve, Zinfandel 2006 The fruit is lovingly sweet [...]

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Taft Street, Sonoma Coast, Rose of Pinot Noir 2007 Mild but muted strawberries and an astringent profile. Unfortunately this wine has a sub-threshold level of TCA that’s blocking the fruit. The grapes come from the Pasta King, Art Ibletto. P&B in Sebastopol 12.5% $11.99 at Bottle Barn Taft Street
Ramazzotti, Dry Creek Valley, Zin-Giovese, Rose 2007 [...]

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Storybook Mountain Vineyards, Napa Valley, Eastern Exposures, Estate, Zinfandel 2005 This is not a wimpy Zin for the structure is there to accentuate the fruit. The grapes for this wine are a selection of mountain grown fruit on the property. Estate grown, produced and bottled in Calistoga 14.9% $35.99 at Bottle Barn Storybook

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Ray D’Argenzio continues making great wine from his location just across the highway from the Santa Rosa Junior College. He’s in the second year of his Amarone project, drying grapes from the ‘08 harvest. Breanna, back from a year of study in Tuscany, showed me the clusters of Petite, Zin and Cab, hanging like Christmas [...]

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Bogle Vineyards, California, Petite Sirah 2006
With notes back to 2001 this wine has been a favorite for showing some tannin in an affordable package. The prices has been steady as well. In October ‘08 this ‘06 sported sweet smells of vanilla and cinnamon while the mouth showed berry fruit, accented by the oak on a [...]

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Fred Peterson has a winemaking resume to rival many. He’s been at some of California’s most famous estates, working in Monterey, the Santa Cruz Mountains and Sonoma County. Just over 20 years ago he took up the building of his own brand under his name. Such a wealth of experience elevates some winemakers into an [...]

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J. Keverson, Dry Creek Valley, Hales Vineyard, Old Vine, Zinfandel 2006 There’s lost of sweet oak, cloves and cinamon in the nose. There’s a taste of strawberries and brown sugar in this elegant style of Zinfandel, with oaky notes adding a sweet character; it’s very smooth with moderate acidity and a little warmth. P&B in [...]

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I’ve often been guilty of asserting that Zinfandel doesn’t last. I’ve opened too many aging Zins to find them falling apart, so much so that I had given up aging them. And honestly, it’s not so bad drinking them when they are young and full of fresh jammy fruit flavors.
The folks at Limerick Lane have [...]

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When Vacu-Dry ceased operations in Sebastopol, California, many bemoaned the continuing decline of the apple industry in Sonoma’s West County region. Yet from those ashes many a high-flying phoenix has taken flight.
The large and rather dingy industrial complex that used to house Vacu-Dry has been turned into a rabbit warren of artisan winemakers, each with [...]

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Rombauer, California, Zinfandel 2006 This has always been on the very rich end of Zin styles with perceptible residual sugar - nonetheless a crowd-pleaser. This vintage follows the same path. The fruit is 59% Amador, 24% Napa, 11% lake and 6% El Dorado Counties. V&B in St. Helena 15.5% $27.99 at Traverso’s Rombauer
Van Ruiten, Lodi, [...]

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Navarro, Mendocino, Zinfandel 2006 Jim Klein is well-know for his work with white varieties but don’t forget his Zins. There’s pure berry fruit in a light-bodied framework. P&B in Philo 14.6% $21 at the winery Navarro
Joel Gott, Amador County, Dillian Ranch, Zinfandel 2005 Baked raisiny fruit, toasty oak and candy flavors. P&B in Oakville 14.7% [...]

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Neyers, Contra Costa County, Pato Vineyard, Zinfandel 2005 Stewed and raisiny fruit. P&B in St. Helena 15.6% $24.49 at Bottle Barn Neyers
Z, Amador County, Massoni Ranch, Zinfandel 2005 Sweet oak multiplied by sweet fruit - plush. Z is Jeff Runquist’s Zin brand. This wine is conceived from vines over 100 years old. P&B in Ripon [...]

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Zin and Petite often work together, one behind the scenes of the other who gets the billing on the label.
Claudia Springs Redwood Valley John Ricetti Vineyard Zinfandel 2005
There’s jammy fruit and a little warmth from the alcohol. Winemaker Bob Klindt. P&B in Philo 15.9% $19.49 at Bottle Barn Claudia Springs
Everett Ridge Dry Creek Valley Estate [...]

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Ballentine Vineyards Napa Valley Estate Grown Zinfandel Port 2004
There’s a sense of a brand new, just crushed wine in the cellar, with vivacious, grapy fruit. There’s definitely some heat as we would see from Portugal, yet this New World Port wears its fresh fruit on its sleeve, with a hint of chocolate, lest we become [...]

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Collier Falls Dry Creek Valley Primitivo 2005
This is lovingly slathered in oak. P&B in Geyserville 15.2% $32 at the winery Collier Falls
Bella Alexander Valley Big River Ranch Zinfandel 2005
A very balanced Zin with tannic structure and dense fruit. Sourced from vines over 100 years old. P&B in Healdsburg 14.9% $36 at the winery but [...]

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Frank Family Napa Valley Zinfandel 2006
Known for awesome Cabernet, tonight we sample their Zin. This wine smells of vanilla and other essences of dessert. There’s lots of extract, very jammy in black fruit and a healthy heft of tannin. 8% Petite Sirah, 15 months in French oak, 35% new. Distributor sample V&B in Calistoag 15% [...]

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Ridge California Lytton Springs 2005
This traditional field blend comes from the site on Lytton Springs Road running between the heart of Dry Creek and Highway 101 in Sonoma County. There is plenty of black pepper on top of the jammy fruit. The vines are intermixed in the old fashion, with 77% Zinfandel, 17% Petite Sirah [...]

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