California Zinfandel Reviews

Great California Zinfandels used to be the province of a few well-established wineries that devoted themselves largely to this varietal and offered a range of styles - from historic field blends such as Ridge's Geyserville to single-vineyard designated bottlings. For many years they were the producers to beat and few came close to the dependably superior offerings from Ridge, Ravenswood, Rosenblum and others.

In our view the next generation of California Zinfandel will be dominated by small boutique producers whose small-scale economics allows them to take risks the bigger producers cannot afford to take with their wines that have an established following.

The new generation Zinfandels from producers like Marr, Toucan, Silver Stone, and others are intense, richly flavored and high in alcohol. They answer a call from a market that increasingly demands intensity of flavor, while rejecting the prickly hard tannins that often accompany high extraction levels. The new Zins achieve this miracle of balance and structure through the use of newer techniques, such as delaying harvest to achieve phenolic ripeness, cold soaking the must before fermentation, whole-cluster fermentation, and frequent punch-downs. They are big, voluptuous wines that wear their high alcohol levels very well.

We are pleased to introduce some of these cutting edge new Zinfandels to you in the reviews that follow. Review policy: We do not report on wines we cannot recommend.

2004 Rancho Zabaco Heritage Vines Sonoma; 14.5% alc., $18

Good color, aromas and texture. Medium light body with bright, refreshing flavors. Unpretentious, good mid-grade Zinfandel. Balanced and satisfying. Fine Zinfandel, good value.

2005 Kokomo Zinfandel Sonoma County; 15.1% alc., $18

Deep ruby color, excellent aromatics suggestive of caramel, coconut, clove, and white pepper. Full, rich flavors of bright raspberry and blackberry with a complexity and intensity one usually associates with more narrowly defined appellations, rather than a county AVA. Recommended.

2005 Rancho Zabaco Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley Stefani Vineyard; 15% alc., $28

A beautiful example of Dry Creek Zinfandel. Deep, brooding, complex. Heady aromas of dark cherry and clove. Velvety mouthfeel leads to a smooth, seductive finish. Recommended.

2005 Kokomo Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley Timber Crest Vineyards; 14.9% alc., $26

Stunning. A superior Zinfandel in every aspect. Deeply extracted and very aromatic. Notes of bright cherry, red fruits, black raspberries and pepper. Strong sense of terroir. Long, seductive finish. Highly recommended.

2005 Marr Zinfandel Mattern Ranch Mendocino; 14.8% alc., $23

Gorgeous Zinfandel! - one of the best we've tasted. Rich, chewy texture, excellent aromas of peppery plum and smoke. A distinctive, show-stopping wine. Alluring notes of passion fruit, wild berries, coconut and caramel. A terrific value - buy this wine. Highly recommended.

Reviews continued in our next article.

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