Sky Zinfandel Anyone?

[Robert.A.Jr]

Ok guys. Second try here. Wine sat out overnight.
It’s certainly more open and showing more fruit, but this is still lean and mean. Probably great with the right food. I suppose if you know and understand the style this is a great wine, but it’s certainly not typical to bedrock, Carlisle or the other darling vintners of this board. Served blind I’m willing to bet most people on this board would think this is something from a different continent. I previously mentioned high altitude Nebbiolo. Don’t get me wrong, I do like it, but it was not expected. Curious to see what this evolves to in 5+ years

Interesting, as I wouldn’t peg it as “lean and mean” at all, just something that tastes like wine with acid and structure instead of a big, sweet, alcoholic beverage that many people are used to from Napa. I don’t think anyone said it was like Bedrock nor Carlisle? It doesn’t have the flavor profile of Nebbiolo for sure, and while it may have acid and tannin like a Chianti Riserva IMO, the fruit is still definitely Zin.

Before I dig into my Charles Heidsieck 2012 Brut Millesime for celebrating an incredible BerserkerDay, I have been itching to try this wine.

Frankly, I adore it. I find it brambly, with that bright and energetic blue mountain fruit I love so much, in all red mountain varietals. It’s got great structure, it’s rich but light on the palate. A steal at $25, truly. I wonder if Brent had a bad bottle, as there’s nothing ‘lean and mean’ or thin about this wine. Brent, do you have any more??

Woosh . . . .

And here I thought I was gonna get temporarily banned, having to hang out with old Neal, sipping Cognacs at some seedy DC Bar, reminiscing about the good old days!

[Pat_Martin]

You guys are killing me. This really sounds like my kinda wine and a tester bottle was supposed to arrive this Friday, but the shipment was delayed. With frigid weather in the forecast, it could be WEEKS now before I get my chance to go big with Sky.

[Al_Osterheld]

To be honest, if the discussion leads you to think it’s your kinda wine, it probably is. And, I’m relieved that Todd has a decent palate.

-Al

[ToddFrench]

To be honest, if the discussion leads you to think it’s your kinda wine, it probably is. And, I’m relieved that Todd has a decent palate.

-Al

This made me LOL

This is one of the most enjoyable Zinfandels I’ve had in some time, and it saddens me that the winery is no more

[Al_Osterheld]

To be honest, if the discussion leads you to think it’s your kinda wine, it probably is. And, I’m relieved that Todd has a decent palate.

-Al

This made me LOL

This is one of the most enjoyable Zinfandels I’ve had in some time, and it saddens me that the winery is no more

As the preceding discussion probably makes clear, I love this wine. It’s the only Zin I’ve bought in quantity in recent years and I’m thinking about buying more including other vintages. As I recall, you also like the Scherrer Zins, so I already knew you had a decent palate.

I’m guessing (and hoping) they’ll survive, sounds like they were replanting.

-Al

[ToddFrench]

To be honest, if the discussion leads you to think it’s your kinda wine, it probably is. And, I’m relieved that Todd has a decent palate.

-Al

This made me LOL

This is one of the most enjoyable Zinfandels I’ve had in some time, and it saddens me that the winery is no more

As the preceding discussion probably makes clear, I love this wine. It’s the only Zin I’ve bought in quantity in recent years and I’m thinking about buying more including other vintages. As I recall, you also like the Scherrer Zins, so I already knew you had a decent palate.

I’m guessing (and hoping) they’ll survive, sounds like they were replanting.

-Al

Yes, I read back at Carole’s post, whew, replanting is good, but NOT easy or cheap. I just ordered 6 more bottles, and will keep them on the short list for some time.

Scherrer, whose zins I also love, is a totally different style for me - these are richer, bolder. Interesting since some of the discussion was quite the contrary!

[Al_Osterheld]

Yes, a challenge for Sky to recover and good to support them. Agree that the Scherrer Zins are a different style, but still in a style I also like. I think a lot of the difference is just Mount Veeder vs Alexander Valley, both a great examples from their appellations.

-Al

[Richard_Jen]

Coravin’d two small pours over the past 10 days. Finally pulled the cork and got a different wine (which is not unusal to me).

Not a typical zinfandel but it’s clearly a zinfandel. Long bright red fruit finish. I feel the tannin is a bit chalky - still gas in the tank? Need to pick up more.

[Brent_S]

Todd, my bottle came from K&L, where yours came from. Guess I just didn’t like the style but sure there’s a possibility that it was flawed which resulted in an austere wine. Can that happen? Anywas, tonight I enjoyed a 2015 Bedrock Papera, which clearly means I’m simply a fruit whore. Turley order going in tomorrow!

[ToddFrench]

Todd, my bottle came from K&L, where yours came from. Guess I just didn’t like the style but sure there’s a possibility that it was flawed which resulted in an austere wine. Can that happen? Anywas, tonight I enjoyed a 2015 Bedrock Papera, which clearly means I’m simply a fruit whore. Turley order going in tomorrow!

Bedrock and Turley…yet you have a Gaja pic as your avatar???

[Robert.A.Jr]

Todd, my bottle came from K&L, where yours came from. Guess I just didn’t like the style but sure there’s a possibility that it was flawed which resulted in an austere wine. Can that happen? Anywas, tonight I enjoyed a 2015 Bedrock Papera, which clearly means I’m simply a fruit whore. Turley order going in tomorrow!

Of course a flaw can happen, even to one bottle out of an original case of 12. Maybe that one bottle had a bad cork or a bad seal. I didn’t get the sense from your note, however, that the wine was flawed. It just did not seem to fit your more fruit-driven style preference in Zin, which of course is totally fine. I’m just relieved Todd like the wind, I did not want to get stuck banned with Neal.

[Brent_S]

I mostly drink old world wines Todd but in this thread we are talking Zin plus the Turley offer just opened up and it seemed appropriate to open a different Zin. I joke about being a fruit whore and Zin does somewhat have a reputation as oftentimes being a fruit bomb. That bedrock was very balanced by the way and Turley seems to have reined it in recently as well.

[P_Turk]

Almost 50 in Chicagoland today, so fired up the grill and enjoyed a zintastic Sky with dinner. Cheers!

[Robert.A.Jr]

Almost 50 in Chicagoland today, so fired up the grill and enjoyed a zintastic Sky with dinner. Cheers!

Awesome! I popped a 2013 on Thursday and have some 2014 coming in this week thanks to Todd F. And, how great was it!?!

PS. That steak looks absolutely fantastic. I did the same thing tonight, grilled some steak, roasted some purple potatoes and sautéed some Portabella mushrooms. Paired it with a Bordeaux instead, however.

[Robert.A.Jr]

Ok, the 2014 is even better than the 2013. I love that 2013, this 2014 is the same profile with just a little bit more ripeness to the fruit, a bit higher ABV for some heft, but still a broad range of tangy red fruits (even some blood orange tossed in) and venturing into the darks, with a gravelly minerality on the palate that speaks to me about earth, rocks, dirt. Gosh I love this stuff. Could be my favorite California Zin, the freshness is crazy good. The citrus notes really speak to this good ‘old Florida boy. A truly outstanding Zin. An outstanding wine. Just a stoopid stoopid value at the $26.99 that I paid. And the best part was, I got Todd to mule it for me. That’s worth a small fortune.

[P_Turk]

Almost 50 in Chicagoland today, so fired up the grill and enjoyed a zintastic Sky with dinner. Cheers!

Awesome! I popped a 2013 on Thursday and have some 2014 coming in this week thanks to Todd F. And, how great was it!?!

PS. That steak looks absolutely fantastic. I did the same thing tonight, grilled some steak, roasted some purple potatoes and sautéed some Portabella mushrooms. Paired it with a Bordeaux instead, however.

Thanks! I think I have 1 ‘13 and 1 ‘14 left, so need to show some restraint to let these age another year … if I’m lucky.

[Robert.A.Jr]

Almost 50 in Chicagoland today, so fired up the grill and enjoyed a zintastic Sky with dinner. Cheers!

Awesome! I popped a 2013 on Thursday and have some 2014 coming in this week thanks to Todd F. And, how great was it!?!

PS. That steak looks absolutely fantastic. I did the same thing tonight, grilled some steak, roasted some purple potatoes and sautéed some Portabella mushrooms. Paired it with a Bordeaux instead, however.

Thanks! I think I have 1 ‘13 and 1 ‘14 left, so need to show some restraint to let these age another year … if I’m lucky.

No, BS, buy more!!!

[Al_Osterheld]

And Todd will bring it to you!

-Al

[R_Roberts]

Ok, the 2014 is even better than the 2013. I love that 2013, this 2014 is the same profile with just a little bit more ripeness to the fruit, a bit higher ABV for some heft, but still a broad range of tangy red fruits (even some blood orange tossed in) and venturing into the darks, with a gravelly minerality on the palate that speaks to me about earth, rocks, dirt. Gosh I love this stuff. Could be my favorite California Zin, the freshness is crazy good. The citrus notes really speak to this good ‘old Florida boy. A truly outstanding Zin. An outstanding wine. Just a stoopid stoopid value at the $26.99 that I paid. And the best part was, I got Todd to mule it for me. That’s worth a small fortune.



AE85E669-5BE5-4E5D-B4A2-4B9E5B24A942.jpeg

[Brent_Fraker]

Sold this wine for a full decade and I’ll be damned if it wasn’t the hardest hand-sell in Zin history. Like all others have said, it’s old-school Mountain Zin and it appealed to the exact same three people who were really into J Swan Zin.

Lloy loved it. Hi Jason.