This flight features 3 dry Zins and one for dessert that were each big winners at the recent Harvest Fair in Sonoma County.
Francis Ford Coppola Presents Dry Creek Valley Director’s Cut Zinfandel 2005
The clear favorite of the flight. This wine is loaded with berry fruit in a package that has refreshing acidity. V&B Geyserville 14.5% $19.95 at Traverso’s Coppola
Rodney Strong Sonoma County Knotty Vines Zinfandel 2005
There is minerality and black pepper and a tannic structure. Fruit from the Russian River and the Alexander Valley, Tom Klein owner and Rick Sayre winemaker P&B Healdsburg 15.2% $18.99 at Traverso’s Rodney Strong
Armida Dry Creek Valley Sonoma County Maple Vineyard Zinfandel 2005
This smells of charred toasty oak and tastes of ripe berries and cherries, also balanced and framed by acidity. This ranked second of the three dry Zins behind the Coppola. P&B Healdsburg 15.5% $36 at Traverso’s Armida
Sapphire Hill Alexander Valley VLH Zinfandel 2006
This wine is a bit like pouring berry jam. There is also a metaphor to young vintage port as you have a sense of the tannin and alcohol in a very fruit driven wine. At 8% RS it’s a lighter concentration of sugar than some other desserts and again is a fitting cousin to port. Tasted in April ’08 and again in January ’09, the alcohol is starting to get ahead of the fruit. Drink and enjoy sooner rather than socking this away. Unfined, 33.5 brix at harvest and 8% RS 16.5% $26 for a 375 ml bottle at Traverso’s and $20.99 at Bottle Barn Sapphirehill
