TNs: Zinfandel Turley/Carlisle/Biale/Bedrock/and a '92 Gary Farrell

I’m sorry to do this to you Mike, but…

  • 2009 Turley Zinfandel Zampatti Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County (2/4/2012)
    Red-fruited, intense raspberry and cherry, but transitions into a peppery, dark chocolate and spicy finish, with just enough supporting tannin to keep it from being too cloying or syrupy. One of my more favorite Turleys from 2009.
  • 2007 Carlisle Zinfandel Carlisle Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (2/12/2012)
    No detailed notes taken, but this was thoroughly enjoyable with blueberry, raspberry, pepper and mouth-watering blood orange finish. Very smooth and easy to drink. Classic Carlisle/Carlisle
  • 1992 Gary Farrell Zinfandel - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (2/17/2012)
    A bottle won at the Falltacular auction 2011. Capsule was loose but cork showed signs of seepage, and crumbled at the touch of the corkscrew. Managed to extract it mostly intact, with a combination of ah-so and waiter’s corkscrew. Decanted off significant sediment, showing a vibrant dark ruby color with a clear meniscus. No sign of heat damage as the nose is red-fruited and perhaps a little musty. Perhaps the wine was stored standing up dehydrating the cork, which then allowed the seepage in the year it spent sideways in my cellar?

The mustiness seems to blow off with air, and the palate enters with earthiness, hint of truffles, and pure cranberry. Perhaps a nice supporting acidity has kept this youthful. I might guess Pinot Noir blind. Fruit continues to build body so that within an hour it’s almost dark chocolate covered cherries on the finish.

I was not expecting much from this bottle but it was not just drinkable, it was surprisingly youthful and quite enjoyable.

  • 2008 Robert Biale Zinfandel Black Chicken - USA, California, Napa Valley (2/18/2012)
    Jammy cherry & boysenberry, for me lacking a bit in structure, and enough alcohol to push it almost into the cherry cough syrup category. Usually this is a favorite bottling, but I guess this is not my vintage.
  • 2008 Bedrock Wine Co. The Bedrock Heirloom - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley (2/22/2012)
    The last of a 2-bottle allocation that was part of my first Bedrock order a couple years ago. I love this wine and I’m sad to see my last bottle gone, but then again I can’t think of a better way to love wine than to drink it. We were dialing in our home-made pizza dough recipe and using a slow-roasted tomato sauce from heirlooms grown last summer in our garden, this intense concoction calling for a zin, something special, big and spicy; this seemed to fit the bill.

Splash-decanted shortly before dinner for some quick air. The wine is a lovely dark-purple ruby. Intense nose of brambly fruit, raspberry and plum. Palate follows with the intense red and purple fruits, great zin spice and cracked green peppercorns in the mid-palate. Finish is very long and fruity, and oak seems fully integrated.

I don’t know if it’s the hot 2008 vintage showing, or Morgan dialing in his style, but like my previous bottle, this is decidedly less restrained than the following vintages. For better or worse… The '09 is one I’d recommend to someone looking for a restrained style field blend. This '08, not so much, yet I love them both and I miss this now that it’s gone.

Posted from CellarTracker

Larry, Thanks for the notes. Sounds like I need to dig out some of these '08 Bedrock, Heirloom blends.

Just be sure to invite me [cheers.gif]

The '08 Bedrock Heirloom is drinking really nicely right now. I have not yet cracked any of the '08 Lorenzo’s. The '07 was youthful but drinking well with some air last summer. I think I crack my first '08 Lorenzo’s in 2013.

I enjoy how some zins age. I’ve had 10+ year old zins from Ridge, Dry Creek Vineyards, Lucas and others in the last year that were great. I’ve had several 2002s from Carlisle that are going strong. Not all zins have the acids and structure to age (Turley, for example, is one that I think is at its best in the first few years), but many of them age quite well, and I expect Bedrock will be in that category.

Larry, I found 1 '08 Lorenzo’s and 4 '08 Bedrock Heirlooms. Yum!

I can bring an '08 Bedrock, Bedrock Heirloom for an off-line in mid April. Also have a bunch of Carlisle pets that some of your “ngbrs” might want to sample.