1993 Ridge, Zinfandel, Maple Vineyard, Dry Creek

Although it does not say Lytton Springs on the front label, according to the back label, Maple Vineyard is part of the Lytton Springs property owned by Ridge. The back label also says that the grapes were picked at “full ripeness”, which in this case appears to be a euphemism “overripe”.

Dark garnet, surprising young looking. Nose has overripe raspberry fruit. The palate had big overripe strawberry and raspberry fruit flavors with a burnt, overripe after taste, moderate acid, still a lot of softer tannins, and a long finish. Other than the overripe fruit, this is a well made wine, and it wasn’t as bad as some of the others I tasted, but it is not a style I like. Alcohol 14.9. Not rated.

Compared to the 1991 Ridge Late Harvest Zinfandel, the Late Harvest Zinfandel is definitely the better wine. I guess the lesson here is that it is possible to make Zinfandel from very ripe fruit without it being overripe. Perhaps it has something to do with the winemaking technique, or maybe it is just a very fine line between “very ripe” and “overripe”.

1985 Beringer, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, Private Reserve

Dark garnet, brickish around the edge. Nose has Cherry, chassis, spices, and violets. On the palate the fruit was complex with flavors of cherry, chassis, plums, leather, chocolate, and spices, moderate acid, soft tannins, and a long fruity finish. This was a beautiful, complex, mature California Cabernet Sauvignon. It seemed to be fully mature, but it still had good structure and should hold for some more years. I think this was the best wine I have had in some time. My rating 95.

1991 Ridge, Zinfandel, Late Harvest, Lytton Springs Estate Vineyard

Given my complaining about overripe, high alcohol Zinfandels, I decided to pop the cork on a half bottle of a real late harvest, desert style Zinfandel to compare it.

Medium dark and brick colored around the edge. Nose has strawberry and sugar. The palate has forward strawberry, raspberry flavors with hints of licorices, slightly sweet, high acid, soft tannins, and a long fruity finish. I found the fruit flavors on this wine only a touch overripe, and as a desert style wine, I found it enjoyable. The alcohol is 16.5% and the residual sugar of 1%. My rating 87.

While this wine was made from very ripe grapes (the sugar at harvest was 28%), it only tastes very slightly overripe, and this characteristic is less objectionable in a desert wine. Perhaps it is the very high acid that gives this wine a very lively feel on the palate.

In any event I like it. I probably bought it at Ridge after tasting it. This is not the kind of wine you would serve with food, other than cheese, but it is every enjoyable to drink.

1983 Leoville-Las Cases

Dark with garnet edge. Nose was tight at first, but opened up with chassis and red cherry. The fruit was red cherry and plums in front, with black cherry on the finish, moderate acid, still some tannin, and a long fruity finish. This is a elegant, well structured, mature Bordeaux. I think it lacked a little of the complexity of the 1981 Leoville-Las Casese, but it still was a very enjoyable wine. It seems to be drinking well, and seems to have the tannin and structure to hold for some more years. My rating 89.

Overripe California Zinfandels

I attended a retailer sponsored sit down Zinfandel wine tasting. I was very disappointed. Almost all the wines were overripe and extremely alcoholic. I didn’t rate most of them, because I just don’t like this style of Zin.

2001 Klinker Brick, Lodi, Old Vines
Medium dark. Nice nose with strawberry and raspberry. Big raseberry, strawberry, overripe fruit, which finished towards licorice, high acid, moderate tannins, long fruity, hot finish. Would be great wine if the fruit was not so overripe. Price $16. Alcohol 15.4%. Not rated.

2002 Chase, St. Helena, Napa, Hayne Vineyard
Medium dark. Nose was tight with hints of berries. Furit flavors were mainly slightly overripe raspberry and strawberry, high acid, moderate tannins, and a long finish. This wine had bland fruit, but was only slightly overripe. Price $38. Alcohol 14.5. Not rated.

2002 Branham, Rock Pile
Dark. Tight nose with hints of strawberry. Fruit flavors were mainly raspberry and strawberry, moderate acid, moderate tannin, and a long fruity finish. This was the one Zin that did not taste overripe or hot to me, and was therefore my favorite, even though I was not very enthusiastic about it. Price $29. Alcohol 14.1. My rating 85.

2002 Adelaida, Pasa Robles
Medium garnet. Closed nose with hints of raspberry. Fruit flavors were overripe raspberry, strawberry, turning to chocolate, high acid, moderate tannins, long finish. This is another wine that would be nice, if the fruit was not so overripe. Price $21.Alcohol 14.1. Not rated.

2001 Joseph Swan, Lone Redwood Ranch
Very dark. Tight nose with some raspberry and strawberry and hints of black pepper. The fruit flavors were very odd on this wine. It had bright red strawberry and cherry flavors in front, and then it seemed to turn sweet, high acid, moderate tannins, long hot finish. I really think this wine has residual sugar, which would be amazing considering the alcohol. This was my least favorite. Price $23. Alcohol 15.3. Not rated.

When exactly did California wine makers decide this was the style of Zin that consumers want?

Are there really a lot of consumers that like this style of wine?

I have recently tasted some Zins from Ravenswood, and they do not seem to be quite so over the top.

1982 Lynch-Bages

Medium dark, brownish tint around rim. Nose of chassis and earth scents. Fruit has chassis, cherry, and earthy flavors, with hints of licorice, moderate acid, soft tannin, good structure, and long fruity finish. This is the kind of elegant aged Bordeaux I like. It seems fully mature and has probably started a slow decline. It still has good structure, but very soft tannins. My rating 90. Drink up.

1998 Morey St Denis, Les Ruchots, Arlaud

Medium dark. Cherry and raspberry nose. Cherry, raspberry, earthy fruit flavors, moderate acid, very soft tannin, light body, long fruity finish. This is a pleasant wine, with nice fruit flavors, but lacking structure. I believe this bottle was a gift a few years ago. I don’t usually buy burgundy and I do not know much about them, but I believe that 1998 was a weak vintage. My rating 84.

A Couple More Inexpensive 2001 Bordeaux

2001 Chateau Clos Chaumont, Premieres Cotes De Bordeaux
Medium dark. Nose had chassis, plums and oak. Taste had cherry and spices, with high acid, moderate tannins, and a long fruity finish. Not bad. Needs a little time. Price $18. My rating 85.

2001 Carruades de Lafite, Pauillac
Dark garnet. Red cherry, plums and oak on the nose. Big flavors of red cherry, black cherry, and plums, good acid, moderate tannin, long fruity finish. A nice wine for near term drinking, but I expected more in the second wine of Lafite. Price $33. My rating 86.

I think second wine of Leoville-Las Cases, Clos du Marquis, which I tasted earlier is a better value than the Carruades de Lafite.

Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Vertical

I attended a vertical tasting of Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. This was a sit down tasting at a retailer, and the wines had been poured about 30 minutes before the tasting started, so the wines had some time to open up.

1995 Silver Oak, Alexander Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon
Dark, garnet, brackish around the edges. Open nose with cherry, plums and earthy aromas. Fruit flavors of red cherry, plums, and raspberries, with hints of chocolate and spices on the palate, high acid, moderate tannins, and a long fruity finish. Drinking beautifully and should continue to hold. My favorite of this vertical. Rated 95.

1996 Silver Oak, Alexander Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon
Dark, garnet. Nose had cherry and currents with hints of licorice. Big black cherry fruit flavors on the palate with hints of chocolate, high acid, hard tannins, and a long fruity finish. A big wine that still needs some time to soften out the tannins. Rated 93.

1997 Silver Oak, Alexander Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon
Dark, garnet. Tight nose with cherry and chassis. On the palate it had big black cherry flavors with spices and chocolate, high acid, high tannins, and a long fruity finish. This is a big wine that needs more time. Rated 94.

1998 Silver Oak, Alexander Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon
Dark, garnet. Tight nose with herbal and cherry aromas. Black cherry fruit flavors with hints of licorice, high acid, moderate tannins, and a long fruity finish. This is a very good wine. Rated 89.

2000 Silver Oak, Alexander Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon
Medium, garnet. Open nose with earthy and current aromas. Palate had earthy, spicy dill flavors with hints of plums and chocolate, moderate acid, moderate tannins, and a long fruity finish. This is a very good wine, but the fruit flavors are quite different from other vintages. Rated 90.

Some Inexpensive 2001 Bordeaux

2001 Chateau Guibot, Puisseguin Saint-Emilion
Dark, garnet. Nose is spicy with cherry and chassis. Fruit is spicy with cherry, high acid, moderate tannins and a long fruity finish. Ok to drink now, but a few years will soften the tannins a little. Very good value. Price was $12. My rating 85.

2001 Chateau Faizeau, Montagne Saint-Emilion
Dark, garnet. Nose has spices, chassis and black cherry. Fruit has big black cherry, licorice and spices, high acid, firm tannins, and a long fruity finish. Needs some time to soften the hard tannins, but very promising. Very good value. Price $16. My rating 88.

2001 Chateau Marsau, Bordeaux Cots De Francs
Dark, garnet. Nose has cherry, plums and coffee. Fruit had black cherry, licorice and spicy flavors, high acid, firm tannins, and a long astringent finish. Needs time, but the fruit seem very interesting and promising. Very good value. Price $12 for 375ml. My rating 89.

2001 Clos du Marquis, Saint-Julien
Very dark, garnet. Nose has red cherry and chassis. Fruit has red cherry and earthy flavors, moderate acid, firm tannins, and a long finish that seemed a little grapey at times. Needs some time to soften tannins, but I am not sure about the grapey after taste. Perhaps this will fade with a little age. Price $29. My rating 88 assuming the grapey after taste fades.

2002 Ravenswood, Pickberry Vineyard, Sonoma Mountains, Meritage

Very dark with garnet around the edges. Tight nose with cherry and forest floor. Red cherry, earthy, and mushrooms fruit flavors, moderate acid, hard tannins on the long finish. This wine tastes rough and needs some time to soften out the hard tannins. It is 81% Merlot and 19% Cabernet Sauvignon. For a wine with this much Merlot it is surprising tight and tannic. I think it needs at least 5 more years and perhaps more. It tasted a little disjoint to me right now, but perhaps it is just too young. My rating 85.