Yesterday my wife and I joined 6 others at the local cooking school for a five course lunch. This is a BYO affair and yesterday’s theme for that was Zinfandel. All the wines were pop and poured and enjoyed over two hours. The food went from meh to very good, the wines were good and the company great. A nice way to spend the first afternoon in a while with temps finally over 32F.
2013 Sineann Zinfandel Old Vine- USA, Oregon, Columbia Valley
Purple in color. The nose has dark cherries and some spice. Very deep. The palate also has dark cherries with some coffee notes. With air, some sour cherries emerge. This is mostly “red” fruit although very intense. Middle of the road Zin in terms of style. Other vintages have really improved with age and I think this does as well as a glass left in the bottle and consumed at home later in the evening was the best. (92 pts.)
2011 Bedrock Wine Co. Zinfandel Old Vine Rowe Vineyard- USA, California, Sonoma County, Northern Sonoma
First time trying this wine IIRC. Wonderful nose of raspberries, chocolate and spice. Huge but delicious nose. Leaner on the palate, but still quite nice. Black raspberries, some cedar notes and a bit of blueberries. Delicious. Developed with air. (92 pts.)
2010 Linne Calodo Outsider- USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
Great wine. My WOTN. Wonderful nose of black raspberries, bramble, grilled meat and spice. Very smooth and enticing texture. Black raspberry fruit on the palate with some bramble. This is big and full throttle but within bounds. Great acidity to balance it off. Textbook California Zinfandel for me (although its 80% Zin). (94 pts.)
2011 Sandler Wine Company Zinfandel Buck Hill Vineyard- USA, California, Sonoma County
My wife described this as a Pinot styled Zin and I think that works well. Light ruby in color. The nose has nice cherries. On the palate cherries with a nice streak of acidity. Certainly more body and stuffing than a Pinot but in that vein. I enjoyed it very much, however, this is probably not the best environment for showcasing its finesse. (90 pts.)
2010 Carlisle Zinfandel Monte Rosso Vineyard- USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley
Purple in color. The nose is black cherries with a whiff of alcohol. Both the black cherries and alcohol carry thru to the palate. There is a lot of stuffing here and it slowly opens up, but always seems to be reticent. I bet the leftovers showed well that night. This is shut down a bit right now, so give it some air when opening or wait a bit on it. (90 pts.)
2011 Carlisle Zinfandel Martinelli Road Vineyard- USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Mike O. just nailed his Zins in 2011. Actually, I had this once before and found it a bit disappointing. This bottle was significantly better and more in line with all of the other 11’s I have had from Carlisle. Either I was off or the bottle or both on the last one. Purple in color and very bright. The nose has black raspberries, raspberries, spice and a bit of vanilla. The texture is amazing. Juicy, silky, and velvety all at the same time. I wanted to take the bottle and just keep pouring. (I did go back for seconds). Black raspberry fruit. Great acidity. I know Mike thinks these will age for a while, and they probably will, but they 11’s are so enticing young. Loved this one. (94 pts.)
2009 Saxum Paderewski Vineyard- USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
Pop and pour. Purple in color. The nose is consumed with alcohol. It is hard to sniff it. I let it sit a bit in the glass and that calmed down. Black raspberry fruit but also plenty of alcohol on the nose. The palate was the same way with a strong cough syrup quality. Most at the table complained about it. The wine seemed shut down hard as well. Just not giving much up to me. Hard to score this one and my expectations were so high, I am probably being hard on it, but maybe, to be fair 88. It was quite a disappointment to everyone at the table I think. There was a glass left that I drank later at night when at home and it was significantly better. The nose had that black raspberry with a bit of spice and some black cherries. No hear. The texture was wonderful. Creamy yet with plenty of strength. Great black raspberry fruit and depth and complexity. All the alcohol and heat were gone from my senses. I might score that last glass 94+ points. I can only assume this wine is not in a good spot right now. I never think of Zins shutting down, but this one certainly seemed to be shut down. If I was opening another bottle, I would give it a very long decant. I believe this is 39% Zin, with an equal amount of Syrah, and also some Petite Sirah and Mourvedre. (91 pts.)
2012 Saxum Paderewski Vineyard- USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
Good to try this next to the 09 to see what these look like young. Purple in color. The nose has black raspberries, raspberries, a floral note and some alcohol. With time the alcohol blows off. On the palate, great texture, medium tannins. Great black raspberry fruit and a bit of a coffee ground note. Lovely balance. Long finish. This got better all afternoon long with air. I believe this is 45% Zin with Mourvedre, Tempranillo and Petite Sirah. (93 pts.)
2012 Sineann Zinfandel Sweet Sydney- USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
I brought this out late (sorry Charlie, I forgot I had it in the bag). 38% RS. Light pale ruby/orange in color. The nose has peaches and cherries. Viscous. It is very sweet and I would not mind a bit more acidity, but very nice. Others seemed to like it better. Nice sweet cherry fruit on the palate. A pleasant way to end the day. (91 pts.)
So the question I have is do Zinfandels shut down. With the exception of Ridge and maybe Swan, I never really age them so I don’t know. I do the 10 Carlisle and 09 Saxum were both shut down hard and I did not plan for that. If so, what is that ageing curve? The Zins I have allowed to age get a wonderful Bordeaux like quality about them. However, so does wine from Bordeaux. Why age Zins when they are so good young and so distinctive? Still, there is no denying some Zins are great with age. There is always more to learn. Posted from CellarTracker
My experience has been that lots of Mike’s wines, and Sonoma Zins in general, need time. Not that they shut down but that they are not ready from bottling until 4-5 years after. Monte Rosso, Pagani, Old Hill Ranch, Bedrock and others just need time to evolve. RRV vineyards seem to have a pronounced fruit that shows up well young as does Dry Creek although DC tends to develop more with time.
Maybe it’s an aspect of vine age combined with climate?
I just had the '10 Carlisle MR and it was open for business. It was also delicious and made me think yet again that it might become one of my favorite vindyard designates from Carlisle.
I’m not sure about Zinfandels closing down but the Martinelli Rd has a lot of acid in it so I suppose it could be tightly coiled at this point esp given that it is an '11. I’d wait a few more years before drinking that vintage.
I’ve heard a few people talk about 2010 MR being ready to go from multiple producers. The Bedrock had a distinct red & blue fruit profile when we last tired one.
That 09 Saxum Paddy may have some bottle variation. We had a shutdown one and a great expressive one. Definitely needs real airtime, way more than an hour or two. Like other Saxum bottles I’m guessing this begins to show best at age 7-8.
It’s probably possible for any wine, Zinfandel included, to shut down at some point in its life. Not sure I would draw any conclusions about Zinfandel from 2010 though as it was a vintage the likes of which no one has seen. I haven’t had our '10 Monte Rosso in some time but recall thinking it was probably the best Zin we made that year, albeit in a very structured, backwards style (almost Cabernet Sauvignon-like in that regard). I think it will age a long time but like our other 2010s, I’m not exactly sure what’s going to happen.
Glad you liked the 2011 Martinelli Road Zin. Although none of it came easy that year, I was extremely pleased by what we accomplished.
3 recent data points that have made me re-think my approach to zins. I have always enjoyed them young for the exuberant fruit so characteristic of zinfandel, especially Carlisle and Bedrock. Back in the day when I bought Martinelli Jackass and Jackass Hill they would be gone within 6-12 months of purchase; the high alcohol content never bothered me a bit and the gobs of fruit were right up my alley. I often thought that people that let their wins age were missing the whole point about zin. Well, as they, tastes change.
My tasting group had a zin night, there were 3 Carlisles: 2102 Sonoma County, 2012 Monte Rosso, and my 2010 DCV. I found both of the 2012 overly hot and rated them toward the bottom. The DCV had pure fruit but with a bit more elegance to it. It was my and the groups WOTN.
The following month we gathered at a fellow wino’s home; the tradition at his home is you get to pick anything in his wine fridge. Plenty of Cali Rhones, Napa cabs, some Chateuneuf.
I found a 1992 Ridge Lytton Springs and it was a revelation. Everyone was worried that it would be DOA but it had fruit, structure, balance, it was fantastic. But that’s Ridge.
The final data point was a 2003 Martinelli Jackass Vyd from magnum. Again, a subtle elegance that I just never found with Martinelli zins, nary a hint of the high alcohol usually associated with these wines. Needless to say, don’t have many old zins in my cellar save for a few singletons of Jackass Hill and 2 Gum Tree Ranch that I found a few months ago.
I plan to give my zins a few more years from now on.
Last year, I opened a 2006 Montafi after Mike said something about it being over the hill. He was 100% wrong. I think they age really well, but I am not sure about a shut down phase. Here is my note:
2006 Carlisle Zinfandel Montafi Ranch- USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (1/4/2014)
Bought direct on release. I was emailing back and forth with Mike Officer a few days ago and mentioned this wine. He noted that I was past his projected drinking window and he did not think from the beginning that it would age well. Since I have three, I decided to open one today. As we drank the wine, my wife said to tell Mike to open one himself because he is wrong. Decanted and then followed over three hours. All the initial roughness is gone. Maybe a bit of the power is gone, but it has been replaced by an overall mature, smooth, well integrated whole. There is some dark brooding red and black fruit, with a bit of blueberry. No one would suggest that this should be used for pancake syrup. There is a tiny bit of cedar wood in the flavor profile. The mouth feel is smooth without being creamy. The finish is very long. I’m glad we have two more. (94 pts.)
Thanks again for posting on this Board as its amazingly instructive. Could you expand a bit more on your thoughts about the 2010’s when you say “I’m not exactly sure what’s going to happen.” Of course, there may not be anything more you can say as it is pretty direct statement, just wondering if we could tease out a little more as to what you are thinking.
I’m still on the '08 syrahs and just starting on the '09 zins so I’m trying to think about how to line the vintages up.
Loren, great write up and sounds like a great tasting. Thanks for sharing. My Mother in Law is a big zin fan so we’ve been drinking some '09s starting with an '09 Bedrock old vines and an '09 Carlisle Sonoma zin. I’m trying to figure out how to line up the rest of the week now.
Thanks James. Glad you appreciate my meager contributions. I’m always a bit apprehensive posting here. But to answer your question, the unique weather events of 2010 on the North Coast had a huge impact on Zinfandel. I find many Zins from 2010 to have an interesting combination of unusually high acid and high alcohol. That’s why I have doubts. If they were just high in acid, I would say they were age worthy. If they were just high in alcohol I’d say drink up. Fruit is always the first thing to fade in a wine. So over time, will alcohol pop to the forefront of 2010 Zins or will the acidity preserve the fruit and integrate with time? I really don’t know. Since I’m a cautious person, I would error on the side of drinking 2010 Zinfandels on the young side as I’m not convinced time will be kind to them.
Thanks for expanding Mike. I can appreciate why you would be hesitant to engage with any frequency on these Boards, but the information you post is always very helpful. I also appreciate your vintage chart on your webpage, particularly with as many wines as you make. Sounds like I need to skip the '09s and move on to some '10s of your zins, perhaps as early as tonight with dinner.
Thanks James. CellarTracker notes on our '10s seem favorable so maybe I just have it wrong. Everyone perceives tastes and smells differently so some may prefer the '10s with a lot of age.
I believe '10 was the year of the early Oct rains. Those picking before did great. Those holding out for something riper may not have gotten the best fruit. I think the whole season was kind of short with early season rain, also.
I like the local wines I’ve had from '10, sometimes better than the same wines from '12, so maybe I’m just weird. lol
“I’d like to forget about 2010,” says Russian River grower and vintner John Balletto, recalling a growing season that many in Sonoma County consider the most challenging in generations.
I do not appear t have written a note on a 2010 Sonoma Zin. I don’t know if the negative/iffy comments above are peculiar to zinfandel or 2010 in Sonoma generally. I have only one note on a 2010 Carlisle and it was outstanding:
2010 Carlisle Two Acres- USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (12/11/2012)
I was desperate! I was at a meeting of the Board of Directors of a bank, their holiday party was in three hours, and a few directors were already asking me about what wine I had brought for them to drink that night, and I knew that the 2005 Outpost Cab wasn’t going to be enough. I rushed back to my office and grabbed this, which had migrated there from home by accident. Popped and poured once the Outpost was gone. Wow. Great balance, great red and black fruit, extreme complexity, much more ready to drink than I deserved, smooth almost silly mouth feel, and a mixture of other flavors in the background that we’re hard to distinguish precisely while standing in the middle of 75 people holding a cheap hotel wine glass. This is a blend of 6 grapes, the last of which is listed as peloursin. Gee, that’s a new one. Mike Officer, who seems from 90 minutes with him at his winery in the picturesque industrial warehouse in Santa Rosa to be not just extremely nice but incredibly knowledgeable, told us about his genetic tests to try to figure out what is in some of the fields. Maybe that’s how he found that grape. This is a wonderful effort. (91 pts.)
Here is more information on the vineyard from the Carlisle web site, which varies slightly from my “six grapes” discussion above t add a couple of zinfandel wines and “Helena”: “A true gem in Sonoma County! There is little old-vine Mourvèdre in Sonoma County. Yet, here we have two acres of predominantly mourvèdre planted in 1910. Other varieties planted include Petite Sirah (10%), Syrah (6%), Carignane (4%), Peloursin (3%), and Alicante Bouschet (2%). There are also a few zinfandel vines in addition to nine whites of a variety called Helena (a white cross of Zinfandel and Mondeuse Noir)”
David, thanks for your thoughts. I agree up to a point. Yes, aging well-made zin can yield surprising results. The wines will shed some of that gobby fruit and take on more of a claret style. But if I want claret, I’ll drink Bordeaux
Aging zin can be intellectually stimulating, and I’ll buy an odd lot occasionally at auction. But I usually find myself missing the youthful exuberance and unadulterated “just-drink-me-and-enjoy” quality of year-old zin. Save for Ridge, it’s rare for me to open a 10-year-old bottle and say “Gee I should’ve waited longer to drink this.”
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