WTN: Zins - Biale, Chase, Ridge, Schutz-Oles, Seghesio, Welch-Stewart

Quality key: 0 = not flawed, but awful anyway; 1 = OK; 2 = good; 3 = very good; 4 = excellent; 5 = staggering.
Value key: NR = No repeat (at the listed price), N = Neutral, R = Repeat, DR = Definitely Repeat.

2005 Seghesio Ancient Vines. $26. A disappointment, as this used to be a nice bottling, but is now a blast of alcohol and sour, under-toasted American oak. It's saved to some extent because it's clear that the grapes underneath are pretty good, but this is a clumsily made wine and way overpriced for the quality. 1.5, NR

2001 Schutz-Oles. $18. Very earthy / bretty...pushing the limit of flawed. But because the rest of the wine is so big (and because I have a very high bret tolerance), I think it adds a unique character to the wine - "earthy" isn't something you'd normally associate with Zin and it works for me. Certainly not everyone's cup of tea; some tasters found it undrinkably flawed. Caveat emptor. 2, R

2003 Welsh-Stewart Sonoma County. $24. An interesting wine - shows good balance yet is a freakish 17% alcohol. Absolutely gigantic in every way: big oak, big fruit, big nose, big hangover. Not just an oaky fruit bomb...a thermonuclear oaky fruit bomb. And I mean that as a compliment. Subtle nuance isn't it's long suit, but it seems pretty clear that wasn't the intent so I don't ding it much on that count. This wine is like your loud, drunk friend who's good natured and funny - maybe not the most intellectually stimulating company, but a good time when you're in the mood for that. Good value for price. Extremely limited production, essentially not available outside the SF Bay Area. 2.5, R

2005 Ridge Lytton Springs. $33. This is classic Ridge zinfandel: relatively light and restrained, dialed back to show some subtlety and complexity; Zinfandel made by someone who's winemaking ideal is Bordeaux. It's one of the rare zinfandels that is a reasonable accompaniment for food - while I love the complexity and depth of huge, old-vine zins they are for the most part more appropriate as a cocktail than as a table wine. That's not the case here. Very good indeed, and while fairly priced I'd say it's only average value. 3.5, R

2001 Biale Monte Rosso Vineyard. $46. A classic example of top-notch California zinfandel - shows the kind of complexity that is distinctive of very old vines, yet does so without giving up any depth or power. Nuance, but not restraint. The only quibble I have is that caramel oak flavors dominate the nose and palate relatively quickly as the wine breathes; it's great as a pop-and-go but two hours after opening it's a completely different wine...not insurmountable, but at $46 that kind of behavior is a bit disappointing. Limited production (400 cases). 3.5, R

2002 Chase Zinfandel Hayne Vineyard. $45. Clearly on a tier by itself in this tasting. An outstanding blend of force and finesse, showing great varietal character and the unmistakable complexity of >100 year old vines. This is first-class zinfandel, certainly a top tier example of the grape. The quality discussion is less about how good a zinfandel it is, and more about how good is it possible for zinfandel to be? I don't think it quite reaches the stratosphere of the world's great wines, but at $45 it more than holds it's own on the value front against similarly priced offerings from Burgundy and Bordeaux. 4, DR

Wm,
Thanks for the great notes and FWIW, I agree with you about Seghesio Zins. Maybe the style has changed, maybe my palate has changed, but whatever the reason, I find myself liking their wines less these days.
Wm.

I have not been a consistent Seghesio drinker but I have enjoyed the PN. I have some zins here in the cellar, after this note might have some Xmas presents to wrap already!!!!

Wm,
Thanks for the great notes and FWIW, I agree with you about Seghesio Zins. Maybe the style has changed, maybe my palate has changed, but whatever the reason, I find myself liking their wines less these days.
Wm.

Bill,
I think that one problem with them is that they've increased production very dramatically over the past 5 or so years. I realized the problem when I saw that they had their own table at an IndyWine a few years ago (well, mebbe more than a few -- tempus fugit and all that) and their wines started showing up on the shelves of Marsh, for crying out loud.

Mark Lipton

p.s. I agree about Seghesio zins, too.

I've been very disappointed in Seghesio the last few years. The prices went up and the artificiality did the same. They used to make good plain Zin at around $10-$12 (a decade ago). No more. Bad Zin at $25.

I said "artificiality". I guess what I'm thinking of is something about how the wine is made overshadowing the wine that's in the grapes. I have a hard time putting my descriptive finger on it. The wine tastes like they're trying to make it into something it isn't.

Most of Seghesio's vineyards are in the Alexander Valley and up near Asti. Remember Italian Swiss Colony? Yes. Those vineyards.

They're old vines, generally pushed a bit on the production side. Hot summer days, but a somewhat shorter season than down in the lower RRV. What you used to get, and what I'd expect, was a bright, sharp, Chianti-like Zin, with an overlay of Californian ripeness. Now you get something different. Tastes like it was made in a wine factory?

William-interesting your notes on the Biale. I just don't know if I want to drink wines at 16.5% abv, though I agree with your notes overall.

[Jenise]

William, I love the erudite and entertaining way you write tasting notes. You don't just describe the taste, you capture the personality. In fact, if someone gave our prizes for TN writing, your description of the Welsh-Stewart could win first place. "This wine is like your loud, drunk friend who's good natured and funny". Great stuff.

Thanks everyone for the kind comments, esp. yours Jenise.

Brian, I hear you on the 16.5% - I think it depends on what your mindset is....16.5% is pretty restrained for cognac

I managed to find some `04 Seghesio Old Vines Zin downtown and promptly took them over to the Grill. 2 servers sold 6 bottles this evening, hope there is one left for me!!

I have liked some Seghesio Zin in the past. Haven't had any in a couple years.

I am on the Biale mailing list and really like the Black Chicken Zin despite the high alcohol. The fruit disguises it pretty well. Of course, Ridge Lytton Springs is in another whole category--my first Zinfandel "love."
I look forward to trying the Biale Syrah and Petit Sirah which I have on hand but haven't opened yet.

As Jenise said--really good tasting notes.

Good notes. Agree Welch-Stewart is the fruit bomb of fruit bomb. The Biale I had recently was portie. Seghiso must be going towards some RP rating. Try Sobon for organic old vine zins with more acid structure.

I managed to find some `04 Seghesio Old Vines Zin downtown and promptly took them over to the Grill. 2 servers sold 6 bottles this evening, hope there is one left for me!!

Well, don`t get too excited! Opened for some of the serving staff at the Grill, poured straight from the bottle, not decanted and that would not have made any difference. Tons of oak all the way through this one, very little varietal character up front. Not a big success folks!

I managed to find some `04 Seghesio Old Vines Zin downtown and promptly took them over to the Grill. 2 servers sold 6 bottles this evening, hope there is one left for me!!

Well, don`t get too excited! Opened for some of the serving staff at the Grill, poured straight from the bottle, not decanted and that would not have made any difference. Tons of oak all the way through this one, very little varietal character up front. Not a big success folks!

Bob,
I'm not too surprised at this. I've had the Seghesio OV (not '04) a few times and found them to be much as you describe. IIRC correctly this retails for $25 to $30 and is a definite avoid.
'Winger

Yeah thanks, it was just plain bl.... brutal. Who is in charge there I wonder?