Who makes the best zinfandels these days?

Who do you say makes the best zinfandels these days?
Thanks for your perspectives and insights.

What style do you tend to like? A lot of people love producers like Carlisle, but I like old school, structured, restrained fruit, so I’m still a Ridge fan.

Cheers,
-Robert

I’m no Zin expert or even fan for the most part, but I would say that the Ravenswood Old Hill bottling is very elegant for a Zin. A big step up from most. Tanzer/IWC seems to agree.

Joeseph Swan.

In addition to Swan and Carlisle, don’t forget Outpost.

Ridge for me. Search Mike Didine’s posts of TN’s. He’s forgotten more about Zinfandel and vineyard history than I’ll ever know. Or, wait for him to respond to this thread to add a few more to the already good suggestions.

Anthony, thank you! But in reality - I’ve just started to scratch the surface.

My answer off the top of my head would be (no particulary order) Mike Officer, Paul Draper, Ehren Jordan, Fred Scherrer, Morgan Twain-Peterson, Joel Peterson, Bob Cabral, Helen Turley, Rod Berglund. Thomas Rivers Brown, Nick Stez, Jeff Mangahas and Ted Seghesio do the variety justice as does Richard Arrowood. Tom Dehlinger will come out with an old vine zin this Spring.

Focus on the vineyards. Each of the above (and many that I haven’t discovered yet) work with grapes from exceptional (mostly historic) vineyards.

Alex, have you been under a rock someplace? Zinfandel’s been a major topic of conversation around here.

Bedrock, Carlisle, Turley, Outpost, Brown, Rafanelli, Black Sears and Williams Selyem would make my short list. Looking forward to trying the new release Dehlinger in 2011.

Tom

My favorite recent Zin was from Fred Scherrer. He makes very beautiful and balanced (not powerhouse) renditions of the grape.

I’d love to see what Jeff Brinkman could do with a great old-zin vineyard!

I’m a Dashe convert. If you want something to knock you upside your head, this is not it. If you want fruit, elegance and balance that goes great with food, Dashe is great. The 2007 Dashe Florence Zin is amongst the best I"ve ever had.

I’ve never tasted this, but have heard great things about their “Louvau” vineyard (1943). It’s on my to-do list!

Lamborn and Novy have some really tasty zin’s that are fairly wallet friendly.

Monte

Storybook Mountain Estate Reserve.

Alex,
I’d say there are several good Zin producers, it all depends on the characteristics and style you like, the best to me or others may not be to you. I really like Howell Mtn fruit for Zin but I also like the Gamba from RRV, both their Moratto Vnyd & Estate Zin, are really good.

The Valdez '06 Rockpile Vnyd was one of those killer zins with smoky (kosher) bacon fat, pepper and the most wonderful mouthful of fruit, that’s one I’d like to find more of. I am not as fond of some of their '07 from the Botticelli or Simoncini vineyard, for me they are different not bad different but don’t strike me the same way. Another is Biale, many people love their Zins, they don’t do much for me.

Hartford makes a zin from Fanucchi-Wood Rd Vineyard that is delicious. I remember a few vintages ago when one of the reviewers called it “Balls To The Wall” tried it and have been a fan ever since.
My next quest is Fanucchi Zinfandel.

We drink and enjoy mostly older Ridge’s, with younger Ravenswoods and varying age other wineries also being consumed by us. We enjoy Zinfandels with spicy foods and with cheese, raisins, and nuts for dessert. Check out our posts on ‘Epicurean Exploits’ for our usual selections.

Couldn’t agree more.

Classic wines, class act.

I mentioned Ridge above, but have been loving Scherrer for a number of vintages, specifically the Shale Terrace. I think I still have most of the '03 to current vintages and my wife loves them too. Really great stuff.

Cheers,
-Robert

The concept of kosher bacon amuses me greatly. Using it in a tasting note or wine description is perplexing and brilliant. It made me wonder whether it smells like regular bacon, or something completely different? I like kosher (beef) hot dogs; but I have no idea what kosher bacon is made of. Should I run out and buy the kosher variety to compare? And adding the smoky adjective is the coup de grace.

Thanks.