BUYING GUIDE - Wine Enthusiast Magazine

ids and tannins that frame notes of jammy cherry and
blackberry. The flavors are sweet on the midpalate, but
finish dry and spicy. —S.H.
abv: 15% Price: $25
84
Cameron Hughes 2010 Lot 292 Syrah
(Santa Ynez Valley). Rustic and sweet, a simple
Syrah with flavors of candied berry, black pepper
and sassafras. —S.H.
abv: 14.5% Price: $13
84
Curtis 2009 Syrah (Santa Barbara County).
This is a soft, easy wine, with sweet black
raspberry, cherry and spice flavors. Drink now with a
nice homemade cheeseburger. —S.H.
abv: 14.5% Price: $25
84
Lorenzi Estate Wines 2009 Reserve Syrah
(Temecula Valley). This Syrah starts off
earthy, musky, big and brawny and can’t escape the
wood-oaked herbal greenness on the finish. It’s simply
too high in alcohol. —V.B.
abv: 16.3% Price: $46
ZINFANDEL
92
Easton 2009 Rinaldi Vineyard Zinfandel
(Fiddletown). From old vines dating to 1865,
this is a hugely fragrant mountainous Zinfandel, with an
abundance of raspberry and blackberry flavors. A wine
with a huge presence and soft, rounded tannins, it’s
extremely yummy with a ton of peppery spice on the
long finish. —V.B.
abv: 14.5% Price: $28
91
Buena Vista 2008 Arpad’s Selection Zinfandel
(Sonoma County). Let this wine
breathe for a couple hours in a decanter to unlock it.
Right out of the bottle, it’s a bit brittle and Porty. Airing
brings out the cherry-raspberry fruit, and it softens and
enhances the earthiness and spices, making for a more
fulfilling experience. —S.H.
abv: 15% Price: $32
91
Easton 2010 Zinfandel (Amador County).
An excellent Zin—this has an invitingly soft
floral nose, mountainous black-fruit flavors and structure
and plenty of depth. This should age nicely over
the next 3–5 years, but it is delicious to drink now, too.
—V.B.
abv: 14.5% Price: $18
91
Ottimino Vineyards 2008 Von Weidlich
Vineyard Zinfandel (Russian River Valley).
This vineyard has been source to Ottomino’s best
Zinfandels for years. The ’08 is right up there, rich and
sweet in briary berries, cola, mocha and pepper spice.
The tannins are firm; the acidity is just right. A bit young
and sweet in primary fruit, try aging it for a few years in
the cellar. —S.H.
abv: 14.4% Price: $38
90
Miraflores 2009 Estate Zinfandel (El Dorado).
This is a proper El Dorado Zin. It’s still
tight and tannic, but air and time reveal a lovely bouquet
of lavender and crushed herbs that’s layered, soft
and spicy on the finish. Miraflores is making some lovely
wines and this is one worth seeking out. —V.B.
abv: 14.8% Price: $25
90
Ottimino Vineyards 2008 Rancho Bello
Vineyard Zinfandel (Russian River Valley).
Ottomino consistently has success with this singlevineyard
Zinfandel. As always, it’s dry, smoothly tannic
and complex, with flavors of wild berry, tobacco, chocolate
and spice. —S.H.
abv: 14.5% Price: $29
90
Ridge 2010 Benito Dusi Ranch Zinfandel
(Paso Robles). A first-class Zinfandel, showing
the variety’s briary, brambly personality. The flavors
are of ripe wild summer berries, cola, pine extract, black
pepper and cinnamon, wrapped into firm tannins and
finishing sweet and long. —S.H.
abv: 14.4% Price: $30
89
De Loach 2010 Zinfandel (Russian River
Valley). Easy to like for its ripe fruit, cola, spice
and meaty flavors. This is De Loach’s basic Zinfandel,
and it’s very good due to the balance that makes it so
drinkable. Editors’ Choice. —S.H.
abv: 15.5% Price: $18
88
Easton 2009 Estate Zinfandel (Shenandoah
Valley). This wine won’t be available until
2013/2014, but for the moment it is a mouthful of extremely
ripe blackberry and blueberry jam, with layers
of tar and dirt. Big and ripe, the additional time in bottle
will help smooth out its edges. —V.B.
abv: 15.1% Price: $32
88
Manifesto! 2009 Zinfandel (Lodi). This
approachable, easy-drinking wine will please a
range of different palates. Made by Napa-based winemaker
Jamey Whetstone, it has soft red-fruit flavor and
a big finish. —V.B.
abv: 13.9% Price: $18
87
Arrowhead Mountain 2008 Zinfandel (Sonoma
Valley). Marked by ripe blackberry and
cherry pie flavors, this offers plenty of pleasure. It’s
clean, robust and tannic, and finishes with an array of
spices. This should appeal to those who like Zinfandel
on the soft, sweet side. —S.H.
abv: 15% Price: $40
87
Chessman 2010 Zinfandel (Lodi). A rustic,
earthy and soft Zinfandel that’s priced attractively.
It has the right amount of blackberry fruit and
fistfuls of bacon and toasty oak. —V.B.
abv: 14.5% Price: $15
87
Folie à Deux 2009 Zinfandel (Dry Creek
Valley). A bruiser of a Zinfandel—it’s dry, fullbodied
and tannic. This shows its Dry Creek origins in
the spicy, briary mouthfeel and the hint of overripe,
pruny fruit. Drink now. —S.H.
abv: 14.5% Price: $22
87
Ridge 2010 East Bench Zinfandel (Dry
Creek Valley). High alcohol, and possibly a
little residual sugar, give this 100% Zin a definite sweet
edge, like raspberry Port. It’s very smooth and soft in
the mouth. —S.H.
abv: 15.1% Price: $28
86
Artezin 2010 Zinfandel (Mendocino
County). A young Zin still in need of time to
develop, there’s an intensity of raspberry and blackberry
fruit in this wine, and a softness throughout. It’s full
bodied, and its finish falls flat. —V.B.
abv: 14.5% Price: $18
86
Chatom Vineyards 2008 Zinfandel (Calaveras
County). A hit-you-upside-the-head,
floral Zin, with mountain tannins, and big blackberry
and savory leather flavors. Over time, the alcohol takes
over. —V.B.
abv: 15.5% Price: $20
86
Easton 2009 E Estate Zinfandel (Fiddletown).
This Fiddletown Zin has a sweet graham
cracker and marshmallow quality about it, soft and
round in the middle, and a finish that’s long and a touch
green. —V.B.
abv: 14.5% Price: $22
86
Kuleto Estate 2009 Zinfandel (Napa Valley).
This wine has flavors of wild blackberry,
blueberry and mocha, with a rich vein of herb, tobacco
and spice. However, it’s hot in alcohol, and finishes with
glyceriney sweetness—almost like a minor Port. Drink
up. —S.H.
abv: 14.9% Price: $35
86
Ottimino Vineyards 2008 Zinfinity Zinfandel
(Sonoma County). A good, lusty Zinfandel,
robust and sweet in berry, mocha, tobacco, cola and
spice flavors. It’s a blend of Ottomino’s various vineyards.
—S.H.
abv: 13.9% Price: $18
84
Benessere 2009 Hollystone-Collins Old
Vines Zinfandel (Napa Valley). This doesn’t
taste ripe, with a green, minty edge to the cherry and
oak flavors. The tannins and acids provide nice structure,
however. —S.H.
abv: 14.5% Price: $32
83
Grayson 2010 Lot 12 Zinfandel (California).
A rustic, common wine; it’s not quite ripe,
and is hot in alcohol and pepper. But it’s okay for everyday
pizza and such. —S.H.
abv: 14.1% Price: $11
83
Peterson 2009 West Vineyard Tradizionale
Zinfandel (Dry Creek Valley). This
Zinfandel is a bruiser. It’s hot from high alcohol, overripe
and Porty. But it is true to a certain Dry Creek style.
The flavors are mixed, of berries, herbs, tobacco and
prunes. Drink up. —S.H.
abv: 14.9% Price: $24
OTHER RED WINES
90
Jarvis 2010 Estate Grown Cave Fermented
Tempranillo (Napa Valley). For full review
see page 10.
abv: 13.8% Price: $70
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