So, time for another tasting report from one of the tastings @AskoKassinen threw in 2024.
This time he had pulled up a serious lineup of Ravenswood’s single-vineyard Zinfandels from the turn of the millennium. We also had one blind wine for starters (a Turley Zin) and a terrific Rosenblum Napa Cab magnum to go with the food.
It’s not news to me that Zinfandel was a whole different beast 20 years ago, but since Zinfandel has never been really a thing on this side of the pond, most people - even those well-versed in wine - don’t really have any idea how the variety was back then. On the contrary: people’s idea of Zinfandel around here is based on the (relatively) inexpensive and categorically uninteresting, almost invariably jammy and too often excessively oaky and alcoholic concoctions that are available here. It was pretty entertaining to see people tasting through the wines, often visibly confused, muttering to themselves that “this doesn’t taste like Zinfandel” or “what is this stuff?”. 
Unfortunately not all the wines were sound: some were already past their peaks; one was corked; and one (which I had already sampled a few months earlier and loved) was suffering from elevated levels of acetaldehyde. However, a great majority of the wines were singing! It was a wonderful opportunity to taste through these wines and see how amazing wines Ravenswood made in their golden years. Especially the bright, impressively high acid structures in these wines were something I’d love to see in contemporary Zins as well.
- 1995 Rosenblum Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Hendry Vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley, Mt. Veeder (5.3.2024)
From a magnum. 14% alcohol.
Deep blackish-red color with a slightly evolved maroon hue - looks somewhat younger than one would expect from the age. The nose feels developed and slightly sweet-toned with complex aromas of ripe figs and wizened dark plums, some blueberry tones, a little bit of dusty old wood, light dark-toned notes of sweet, toasty oak spice, a hint of juicy blackcurrant and a herbaceous touch of leafy Cab character. The wine feels firm, lively and quite savory on the palate with a medium body and intense flavors of ripe blackcurrant, some tobacco, a little bit of gamey meat, light woody notes of pencil shavings and savory oak spice, a hint of ripe fig and a touch of gravelly minerality. The wine is still impressively structured with its high acidity and ample, rather grippy tannins. The finish is long, savory and quite grippy with a complex aftertaste of tobacco, some sweet notes of wizened blackcurrants and ripe figs, a little bit of gamey meat, light woody notes of pencil shavings, crunchy hints of redcurrants and red plums and a touch of stony minerality.
A fine, stern and pretty structure-driven Napa Cab that is now on its plateau of maturity. The wine has started to get a bit tertiary and fruit department is starting to shrivel, ie. it is starting to show some dried-fruit flavors, but with this much flavor intensity and very little oxidative qualities, I doubt the wine is going to fall apart anytime soon. Drink or keep. Solid value at 99€ for a magnum.
(93 points) - 2020 Turley Zinfandel Ueberroth Vineyard - USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles (5.3.2024)
Fruit is sourced from a vineyard planted in 1885. Aged for 15 months in new (20%) and used (80%) barriques made from French (80%) and American (20%) oak. Fermented spontaneously with indigenous yeasts. 15,7% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Youthful, slightly translucent and quite deep ruby-red color with a faint blueish hue. The nose feels sweet and quite solar with aromas of boysenberries and dark brambles, some strawberry tones, a little bit of dark-toned and toasty oak spice, light black cherry nuances, a spirituous note of alcohol and a touch of smoke. The wine feels youthful, powerful and rather warm on the palate with a quite full body and intense flavors of boysenberries and cherry marmalade, some toasty notes of mocha oak, a little bit of blueberry, light primary notes of candied jelly fruit, a hint of herby greenness and a touch of tart and slightly bitter lingonberry. The wine is surprisingly high in acidity, whereas the tannins feel quite ripe and gently grippy. The finish is long, juicy and rather warm with an rich, fruit-driven aftertaste of strawberries and boysenberries, some cherry marmalade, light blueberry notes, a little bit of herby greenness, a candied hint of purple-toned primary fruit and a touch of savory spice.
This was an interesting fella; the wine felt like it was slightly overripe and slightly underripe both at the same time - but maybe because these qualities seemed to somewhat balance each other out, the end result was surprisingly balanced and enjoyable! The high alcohol was a bit too much for me, though, but the wine still carried the heat surprisingly well - I've had wines with less ABV and more obvious alcohol heat! My first guess was Turley Zinfandel (because the wine was poured in a Zinfandel tasting) and when my guess was confirmed as correct, I further guessed it must be Ueberroth, since that's probably the only Turley I've consistently liked. This wine is very Turley Zinfandel in style, with all the good and bad qualities it entails, but it does show good sense of balance and promise. With its primary fruit flavors, the wine is still a bit too young to enjoy, but I'm sure this wine will continue to evolve and improve just fine with age.
(90 points) - 2001 Ravenswood Zinfandel Monte Rosso Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley (5.3.2024)
100% Zinfandel from Monte Rosso Vineyard, where the oldest Zinfandel vines date back to 1886. Harvested on August 30th, 2001, aged for approximately 15 months in oak barrels and bottled on March 31st, 2003. 15% alcohol and 7,2 g/l acidity. Total production 1875 cases.
Somewhat translucent brick-red color with an aged maroon hue. The nose feels sweet and somewhat dusty with evolved aromas of wizened dark brambles, some blueberry tones, a little bit of tobacco, light gamey tones and a hint of ripe black cherry. The wine feels evolved, complex and still relatively lively on the palate with a moderately full body and developed flavors of wizened dark berries and ripe black cherries, some dusty old wood, a little bit of ferrous blood, light notes of tobacco, a hint of gamey meat and a woody touch of savory oak spice. The overall feel is surprisingly stern and structured, thanks to the wonderfully high acidity and rather grippy tannins. The finish is long, evolved and quite grippy with a complex aftertaste of ripe dark berries, some wizened black cherries, light leathery notes, a little bit of tobacco, a hint of dusty old wood and a touch of gamey meat.
A beautifully evolved, complex and surprisingly serious Zinfandel at full maturity. Although flavor-wise the wine seems to be on its plateau of maturity - and most likely has been there for years - the wine is still structurally quite tightly-knit and more reminiscent of, say, old-school Bordeaux than your typical contemporary Zinfandel. Most likely the wine won't evolve much - or at all - from here, so there is no need for additional aging. Drink now or in the near future. Terrific value at 38€.
(91 points) - 2001 Ravenswood Zinfandel Barricia - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley (5.3.2024)
100% Zinfandel from Barricia Vineyard, where the oldest Zinfandel vines date back to the 1890's. Harvested between September 2nd and 27th, 2001, aged for approximately 15 months in oak barrels and bottled on April 1st, 2003. 13,6% alcohol and 6,7 g/l acidity. Total production 2360 cases.
Quite deep and dark maroon color. The nose feels old, savory and somewhat oxidative with aromas of beef jerky and tobacco, some minty green notes, a little bit of sweet pruney fruit, light smoky tones, a hint of wizened raspberry, a touch of raisiny fruit and a whiff of soy sauce. The wine feels ripe, evolved and somewhat sweet-toned on the palate with a full body and tertiary flavors of raisiny dark fruit and dried figs, some pruney tones, a little bit of gamey meat, light minty nuances, a hint of sour cherry bitterness and an oxidative touch of soy sauce. The high acidity and still moderately grippy medium tannins make the wine feel firm and pretty structure-driven, even if the wine is otherwise getting a bit tired. The finish is long, savory and gently grippy with a rather tertiary aftertaste of tobacco and dried figs, some oxidative notes of soy sauce, a little bit of gamey meat, light raisiny nuances and a hint of boysenberry jam.
A still rather tasty but nevertheless a bit too old Sonoma Zin that has started its decline. The wine is pretty enjoyable - especially if you like old wines that have not completely fallen apart - with good sense of structure and firmness, but as the wine was tasted in a tasting of old Ravenswood Zinfandels, it was obvious that this wine had not stood against the test of time as gracefully as the other bottles we tasted. Although relatively reasonably priced at 36€, I don't think the wine offered value for the money anymore.
(85 points) - 2001 Ravenswood Zinfandel Teldeschi - USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley (5.3.2024)
100% Zinfandel from Teldeschi Vineyard, where the oldest Zinfandel vines date back to 1913. Harvested between August 31st and September 6th, 2001, aged for approximately 15 months in oak barrels and bottled on April 9th, 2003. 14,6% alcohol and 6,3 g/l acidity. Total production 3125 cases.
Moderately translucent pomegranate color with a somewhat evolved brick-red hue. The nose feels surprisingly restrained and understated with somewhat sweet-toned and moderately evolved aromas of wizened black cherries, some cedary notes of cigar box, a little bit of sweet pruney fruit, light oxidative notes of beef jerky and a hint of minty greenness. The wine feels juicy, harmonious and silky on the palate with a full body and succulent flavors of ripe boysenberries and other dark berries, some dark plummy fruit, light meaty notes of game, a little bit of toasty oak spice, a hint of sweet black cherry and a woody touch of cedar. Despite the ripeness and the sweetness of the fruit, the wine shows good sense of freshness and structure with its high acidity and ample, still moderately grippy tannins. The finish is juicy, moderately grippy and somewhat warm with a long, complex aftertaste of ripe black cherries, some meaty notes of game, a little bit of sweet boysenberry, light plummy tones, a woody hint of cigar box and a touch of pruney dried-fruit character.
The nose felt a bit disappointing - both very understated and maybe a bit too tertiary. However, the wine didn't turn out to be at all too old on the palate, instead showing some age, but also quite a bit of juicy, vibrant fruit and nice, firm structure. The wine does show its age, but is yet to fall apart. Most likely the wine isn't going to benefit from any additional aging, but I really don't see it falling apart anytime soon, either. Drink now or within the next handful of years. Good value at 36€.
(89 points) - 1999 Ravenswood Zinfandel Barricia - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley (5.3.2024)
100% Zinfandel from Barricia Vineyard, where the oldest Zinfandel vines date back to the 1890's. Harvested on September 29th, 1999, aged for approximately 18 months in oak barrels and bottled on May 21st, 2001. 15% alcohol and 7,2 g/l acidity. Total production 1580 cases.
Moderately translucent and somewhat developed pomegranate color with an evolved maroon hue. The nose feels evolved, maybe even a bit old, with savory aromas of beef jerky and dusty old wood, some dark forest fruits, a little bit of sweet boysenberry, light smoky tones, a hint of cherry pits, a touch of earth and a whiff of prunes. Contrasting the nose, the wine feels dense, savory and moderately developed yet not old on the palate with a rather full body and complex flavors of wizened boysenberries and beef jerky, some strawberry tones, a little bit of juicy blackberry, light notes of cherry pits, a hint of pruney fruit and a touch of wood. The overall feel is firm and balanced with high acidity and moderately grippy tannins. The finish is evolved, savory and quite grippy with a long aftertaste of wizened boysenberries and ripe blackberries, some cherry pit notes, a little bit of strawberry, light pruney tones, a hint of beef jerky and a faint, lingering touch of vanilla.
A fine, harmonious and beautifully evolved Zinfandel at full maturity. The nose felt quite tertiary, suggesting that the wine might've been already past its peak, but fortunately the wine turned to be just fine on the palate: still retaining quite a bit of fruit and vibrancy, not coming across as too tired or excessively oxidative at any point. Seeing how the wine feels like it is on its plateau of maturity now, I see no point in letting the wine age any further - most likely the wine is going to fall apart in the not too distant future, so it is better to drink up any remaining bottles sooner rather than later. Priced somewhat according to its quality at 48,50€.
(92 points) - 1999 Ravenswood Zinfandel Old Hill - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley (5.3.2024)
100% Zinfandel from Old Hill Vineyard, where the oldest Zinfandel vines date back to the 1880's. Harvested on September 30th, 1999, aged for approximately 18 months in oak barrels and bottled on May 30th, 2001. 15,4% alcohol and 6,8 g/l acidity. Total production 950 cases.
Deep, dark and moderately opaque pomegranate color with an evolved maroon hue. The nose feels old, moderately oxidative and a bit tired with aromas of raisiny dark fruit and meat stew, some green minty nuances, a little bit of eucalyptus, light sweet notes of wizened black raspberries, a volatile hint of nail polish and a touch of soy sauce. The wine feels very ripe, rather old and a bit oxidative with a noticeably full body and somewhat sweet-toned flavors of raisins and prunes, some dried dates, light green notes of eucalyptus and peppermint, a little bit of wizened black raspberry, a hint of meat stew and a touch of soy sauce. The wine is surprisingly high in acidity, but the tannins feel quite mellow and almost completely resolved. The high alcohol makes the overall feel a bit hot. The finish is juicy, quite warm and gently grippy with a long, evolved aftertaste of raisiny dark fruits and wizened black cherries, some pruney notes, a little bit of minty greenness, light beef jerky tones, a hint of soy sauce and a touch of boozy alcohol.
This was both a bit too ripe and a bit too old Zinfandel for my preference. In our tasting of old Ravenswood Zinfandels, the elevated ripeness and excessively high alcohol both showed quite negatively in this wine, making it come across as quite clumsy compared to the other Zins. Furthermore, it seems the wine hadn't held up that well as it was getting already quite tired and oxidative by this point. As the wine is now in a decline, I heartily recommend drinking up any remaining bottles - this wine doesn't feel like it is going to benefit from any additional aging (although it is possible that we just had a bottle that was aging at an accelerated pace). Feels expensive for the quality at 64€.
(82 points) - 1998 Ravenswood Zinfandel Teldeschi - USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley (5.3.2024)
100% Zinfandel from Teldeschi Vineyard, where the oldest Zinfandel vines date back to 1913. Harvested between September 29th and October 21st, 1998, aged for approximately 18 months in oak barrels and bottled on May 31st, 2000. 14,5% alcohol and 6,6 g/l acidity. Total production 2320 cases.
Moderately translucent brick-red color with a deeper maroon core. The nose feels evolved, dry and quite dusty with aromas of earth, some tobacco, a little bit of raisiny fruit, light dried cherry tones and a bit of old musty cellar. The wine feels dry, chewy and quite underwhelming on the palate with a medium body and light, slightly dull flavors of gravelly minerality and dusty earth, some crunchy chokeberry tones, a little bit of dried fig and a hint of loose tobacco. The alcohol shows quite a bit as there is very little taste to mask its presence. The wine is high in acidity with quite ripe and slightly resolved tannins. The finish is dry, warm and moderately grippy with a rather understated aftertaste of loose tobacco, some dusty tones, a little bit of dried fig and a hint of ripe redcurrant.
Surprisingly dull and understated bottle. Nobody picked up any obvious TCA aromas, but as the wine seemed so underwhelming and dusty, we suspected this was a slightly corked bottle. 42€ down the drain.
(NR/flawed) - 1996 Ravenswood Zinfandel Monte Rosso Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley (5.3.2024)
100% Zinfandel from Monte Rosso Vineyard, where the oldest Zinfandel vines date back to 1886. Harvested on September 11th, 1996, aged for approximately 15 months in oak barrels and bottled on April 20th, 1998. 15% alcohol and 6,3 g/l acidity. Total production 2825 cases.
Translucent and quite evolved brick-red color with a syrupy-brown hue. The nose feels evolved, autumnal and rather savory with tertiary aromas of wizened dark berries, some dried fig notes, a little bit of leafy forest floor, light leathery tones, a hint of ripe blueberry and a touch of raspberry leaf tea. The wine feels ripe, evolved and juicy on the palate with a medium body and quite intense flavors of ripe black raspberries and wizened figs, some green notes of raspberry leaf tea, a little bit of sweet boysenberry, light stony mineral notes, a hint of old leather and a touch of leafy forest floor. The wine is surprisingly firm and structured with its high acidity and still moderately grippy medium-plus tannins. The finish is long, moderately grippy and somewhat warm with a complex, evolved aftertaste of ripe boysenberries and wizened figs, some black raspberries, a little bit of old leather, light tobaccco notes, a savory hint of meaty umami and a green touch of raspberry leaf.
A fine and tasty Zinfandel at its peak. The overall feel is getting rather tertiary, but there is enough vibrant fruit to make the overall feel balanced and not too senescent. True to the old-school Ravenswood style, the wine still retains impressive sense of structure, and I'm quite sure that the firm tannins will outlive the fruit as the tannins show relatively little sense of resolution compared to the rather tertiary fruit profile. Better to drink sooner rather than later. Good stuff, great value at 36€.
(93 points) - 1997 Ravenswood Zinfandel Monte Rosso Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley (5.3.2024)
100% Zinfandel from Monte Rosso Vineyard, where the oldest Zinfandel vines date back to 1886. Harvested between September 10th and 16th, 1997, aged for approximately 15 months in oak barrels and bottled on April 14th, 1999. 15% alcohol and 7,3 g/l acidity. Total production 3060 cases.
Deep and beautifully luminous ruby-red color with a subtly evolved brick-red hue. The nose feels fragrant, sweet and subtly volatile with aromas of dried black cherries and ripe dark plums, some raisiny tones, a little bit of pipe tobacco, light leathery notes, a hint of balsamic VA and a touch of cedar. The wine feels ripe, juicy and somewhat evolved with a full body and intense flavors of dark plums and black cherries, some brambly notes of black raspberries, a little bit of game and meaty umami, light leathery notes, a hint of balsamic VA and a crunchy touch of fresh cranberry. Despite the slightly oxidative qualities, the wine still retains great sense of freshness and balance. The combination of surprisingly high acidity and still rather grippy medium-plus tannins make the wine feel firm and pretty structure-driven. The finish is savory, quite evolved and moderately grippy with a long, complex aftertaste of ripe boysenberries and wizened black cherries, some leathery tones, a little bit of tobacco, light oxidative notes of beef jerky, a hint of sweet plummy fruit and a touch of balsamic VA.
A beautifully evolved, balanced and wonderfully complex Ravenswood Zin at full maturity. The wine marries vibrant, still relatively youthful fruit with more developed nuances and even slightly oxidative undertones effortlessly, all backed up by a firm tannic frame and surprisingly high acidity. The wine feels a tiny bit more volatile than the other Ravenswood Zins we tasted, but not excessively so - it only adds a fine-tuned backdrop of balsamic complexity that only adds to the depth of flavor, not distracting from pleasure. To me, this was the best wine of the tasting - with the similarly impressive and harmoniously evolved 1997 Teldeschi Zin. At just 36€, this has been a steal.
(94 points) - 1997 Ravenswood Zinfandel Belloni - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (5.3.2024)
According to the label, this is a Zinfandel from Belloni Vineyard, planted in the early 1900's, but to my understanding this is a field blend that also includes some Petite Sirah, Carignan and Alicante Bouschet that are co-fermented with Zinfandel. Harvested on September 30th, 1997, aged for approximately 18 months in oak barrels and bottled on June 17th, 1999. 14,5% alcohol and 6,8 g/l acidity. Total production 935 cases.
Quite deep, dark and rather opaque blackish-red color with a somewhat evolved maroon hue. The nose feels evolved and somewhat restrained with subtle, understated aromas of boysenberries and other ripe dark berries, some evolved notes of meat stew, a little bit of wizened dark plum, light oxidative notes of beef jerky and a hint of pipe tobacco. The wine feels ripe, evolved and somewhat extracted on the palate with a full body and bold flavors of sweet dark fruits and wizened figs, some toasty oak notes, a little bit of licorice root, light savory notes of meaty umami, a hint of earth and a touch of boysenberry jam. The structure relies more on the high acidity than on the gentle, quite resolved tannins. The finish is somewhat grippy, silky and evolved with a long, savory aftertaste of wizened figs and ripe black raspberries, some woody notes of savory oak spice, a little bit of earth, light tertiary notes of meat stew and old leather, a hint of sweet boysenberry and a touch of toasted spices.
An attractively evolved Ravenswood Zinfandel that feels maybe a bit more "done" than the other 1997 Ravenswood wines we tasted; the overall feel had a slightly more extracted feel compared to the other wines and - surprisingly - this was probably the only one that had somewhat noticeable (yet not pronounced) new oak tones. While not at the level of the best '97 Ravenswood wines, this was still a lovely old Cali red in its own right. I feel the wine is now on its plateau of maturity and it has been there for some time - I don't expect the wine to improve with additional aging, so further aging is unnecessary. Terrific value at 36€.
(92 points) - 1997 Ravenswood Zinfandel Dickerson - USA, California, Napa Valley (5.3.2024)
100% Zinfandel from the Dickerson vineyard in Napa Valley, where the oldest Zinfandel vines date back to the 1920's, harvested on September 9th, 1997. Aged for approximately 15 months in oak barrels, bottled on April 22nd, 1999. 14,5% alcohol and 8,3 g/l acidity. Total production 1330 cases.
Moderately translucent and somewhat evolved ruby-red color with a pale, quite colorless rim. The nose feels weirdly green-toned and aldehydic with a sharp Fino Sherry-like streak of green almonds and apple slices along with some sweeter notes of ripe figs, light boysenberry jam tones and a hint of pruney dried-fruit character. The wine feels lively, firm and relatively youthful but also quite aldehydic on the palate with a moderately full body and intense flavors of green almonds and sharp sorrel notes, some ripe dark fruit tones, a little bit of wizened fig and a hint of green apples. The combination of very high acidity and rather grippy tannins make the wine feel impressively structured. The finish is long, grippy and quite aldehydic with a dry aftertaste of green almonds and apple slices, some sorrel, a little bit of dried fig and a hint of boysenberry.
I was bummed when this wine turned out to be faulty. Last fall this wine was simply singing and all in all was so much better than I anticipated, coming across as even relatively youthful for its age. I was looking forward to seeing how this wine would perform in our tasting of old Ravenswood Zins - especially when we had a nice mini-horizontal of five '97 Zinfandels! - but unfortunately this wine turned out to be faulty with a noticeable streak of Manzanilla-like acetaldehyde, making the green-toned aldehydic notes of green almonds, sorrel and apple slices dominate the aroma and flavor profile. This wine was nowhere near the magnificent wine I tasted last year; 36€ down the drain.
(NR/flawed) - 1997 Ravenswood Zinfandel Teldeschi - USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley (5.3.2024)
100% Zinfandel from Teldeschi Vineyard, where the oldest Zinfandel vines date back to 1913. Harvested between September 2nd and 16th, 1997, aged for approximately 15 months in oak barrels and bottled on April 19th, 1999. 15% alcohol and 6,8 g/l acidity. Total production 2345 cases.
Deep, surprisingly dark and rather opaque black cherry color. The nose feels fragrant, attractive and somewhat evolved with layered aromas of ripe boysenberries and wizened black cherries, some balsamic nuances, a little bit of ripe dark plum, light lifted notes of nail polish VA, a hint of exotic spice, a touch of dried dark berries and a whiff of blackberry marmalade. The wine feels savory, rather tightly-knit and pretty sinewy on the palate with a medium body and quite dry flavors of juicy raspberries, tart cranberries and evolved balsamic notes, some savory notes of meaty umami, a little bit of game, light stony mineral notes, a hint of sour cherry bitterness and a touch of pouch tobacco. The wine is wonderfully high in acidity with firm and rather grippy tannins. The finish is dry, long and grippy with a complex, evolved aftertaste of ripe black raspberries and crunchy cranberries, some earthy tones, a little bit of old leather, light tobacco notes, a hint of gamey meat and a sweeter touch of dried dark fruits.
An impressively firm, complex and wonderfully evolved Ravenswood Zinfandel at full maturity. There's still some vibrant fruit character, but there's also quite a bit of tertiary complexity as well - both playing off each other beautifully, neither overwhelming the other. Seeing how surprisingly tightly-knit the wine still is, at 25+ years of age, I suspect the structure here will outlive the fruit - and I don't mind, as I prefer my wines with good sense of structure! Although the wine is more or less fully evolved and it won't improve with further aging, I don't see the wine falling apart anytime soon. Drink or keep. To me, this was the best wine of the tasting (with the equally impressive '97 Ravenswood Monte Rosso Zin) and simply outstanding value at 36€.
(94 points) - 1997 Ravenswood Zinfandel Old Hill - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley (5.3.2024)
100% Zinfandel from Old Hill Vineyard, where the oldest Zinfandel vines date back to the 1880's. Harvested on September 9th, 1997, aged for approximately 15 months in oak barrels and bottled on April 21st, 1999. 14,5% alcohol and 6,8 g/l acidity. Total production 574 cases.
Old, fully opaque blackish-red color with a syrupy-brown hue. The nose feels old, raisiny and somewhat pungent with rather tired aromas of prunes, some sharp notes of rancio, a little bit of beef jerky, light leathery tones and a hint of smoke. The wine feels old, dry and tertiary on the palate with a rather full body and quite tired flavors of soy sauce and sharp notes of rancio, some oxidative beef jerky tones, a little bit of leather, light toasty oak tones, a hint of alcohol warmth and a sweeter touch of dried figs. The acidity feels high and the tannins are still rather grippy. The finish is old, savory and moderately oxidative with a rather tired aftertaste of soy sauce and sweet, pruney dark fruit, some sharp notes of rancio, a little bit of old leather, light toasty nuances, a hint of tobacco and a touch of slightly bitter spices.
This was already quite tired and sliding downhill at an alarming pace. I wish our bottle was just a dud bottle and not representative of the wine, since so many other '97 Ravenswood Zins were still drinking so wonderfully. Leaving the wine unrated. This bottle was 45€ down the drain.
Posted from CellarTracker
