Lately there seems to be an uptick of conversation here surrounding my favorite grape variety, Zinfandel. I apologize to those I’m forgetting but I enjoy reading Tom Hills notes and learning history of Zin producers and wines from his as it seems he has forgotten more than most know about Zin. I believe M. Dildine also is very involved with HVS which I am eagerly trying to attend one of the annual events.
That all being said, the major publications give Zin credit but short shrift compared to other varietals. Seeing as many here discuss how particular critics palates align with theirs for Burgundy, CA Cab, Bordeaux, Rhone etc., it led me to ask; are there any critics that focus/specialize on Zinfandel? If so, who are they?
I try my very best to taste many of the Zinfandel that gets discussed here or recommendations from my LWS as well as from some of the wine magazines but I’d be very interested in reading from someone whose primary focus is this grape.
Thank you in advance for your comments and advice.
Wow, I had thought that I was the only poster here who relies on CGCW and Charlie Olken. In addition to the Ravenswood Old Hil, I have been quite taken by the Teldeschi, in most years.
I am a confessed zin fanatic. I can prove it: I have 600 items of evidence in my basement, and very few nonzins. I don’t know of any Zinfandel-specific critics. I do follow Tom Lee, but even he includes lots of other varietals.
The Wine Advocate has been pretty consistent in including zinfandel in its California articles. They have rarely lead me astray when it comes to zins.
And the Wine Spectator tastes a long list of zins annually. The June 30 issue has traditionally been the issue with the big zin article, but this year it got moved to July 31 for some reason. Not sure which it will be next year. Watch their website or visit your local newsstand and/or wine shop. The issue appears about three weeks before the nominal date, as I recall. A little secret: the long list of tasted zins is on the WS website for free. Not sure how long it stays there. You have to act quickly, I think. But I always buy the zin issue regardless. The list on the website is much longer than the hard copy list, but I buy the issue anyway.
You will soon learn whether your personal taste coincides with WA or WS, and then you can buy (or not buy) with a degree of confidence. Some people love to hate WA and/or WS as a matter of pride, but it is all a question of your personal taste. Ignore the naysayers and rely on your own palate after giving various critics (WA, WS, and any others you like) a trial run.
Yours in Zin,
Phil Jones
Charlie Olken was my guide for Zinfandel back in 1990 when I started in the industry. One of my most significant influencers for tasting and writing too.
I was a charter subscriber to CGCW, under Charlie & Earl Singer (now StephenElliott), back in the '70’s. Might I mention that I followed CGCW “from the very start”
as they say?? The number of Zins, like MontereyPeninsula and DeLoach and Ravenswood, they turned me onto is way up there.
But CGCW and I parted ways after about 10 yrs as the publication evolved into simply a compilation of TN’s and lacked the side stories
that made CGCW such an interesting read. When they abandoned the 3-meadow muffin scoring and went to a 100-pt scoring…that sealed
the fate and damned CGCW to oblivion for me.
That said…I still regard Charlie/Stephen as the authoritative voice and TN’s on Calif wines. Nobody does it better. I still follow their blog
and remain good friends with them both. They are the very best in my book.
Tom
As an aside…I still bring up Charlie’s labeling of high-alcohol Zins as wines “with shabby table manners” as the cause of the decline of Calif Zins and the
rise of “food wines” that occurred in the early '70’s. He, of course, disputes that point. But it’s always good for a laugh when I want to needle Charlie.
“I was a charter subscriber to CGCW, under Charlie & Earl Singer (now StephenElliott), back in the '70’s. Might I mention that I followed CGCW “from the very start”
as they say?? The number of Zins, like MontereyPeninsula and DeLoach and Ravenswood, they turned me onto is way up there.
But CGCW and I parted ways after about 10 yrs as the publication evolved into simply a compilation of TN’s and lacked the side stories
that made CGCW such an interesting read. When they abandoned the 3-meadow muffin scoring and went to a 100-pt scoring…that sealed
the fate and damned CGCW to oblivion for me.
That said…I still regard Charlie/Stephen as the authoritative voice and TN’s on Calif wines. Nobody does it better. I still follow their blog
and remain good friends with them both. They are the very best in my book.
Tom
As an aside…I still bring up Charlie’s labeling of high-alcohol Zins as wines “with shabby table manners” as the cause of the decline of Calif Zins and the
rise of “food wines” that occurred in the early '70’s. He, of course, disputes that point. But it’s always good for a laugh when I want to needle Charlie”.
Jesus Tom,
Talk about faint praise. In fact the CGCW does have “side stories”. I could go on, but what’s the point?
Can someone explain to me how TomHill, who seems to know every piece of wine trivia, was NOT familiar with the work of Tom Lee (whom I’ve followed from the very beginning )?
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The number of Zins, like MontereyPeninsula and DeLoach and Ravenswood, they turned me onto is way up there.
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