2006 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Galitzine Vineyard Red Mountain
It almost scares me how much I liked this. PnP'd, came together quickly in the glass. California-esque black cherry and Paulliac-ish graphite and cigar box, with weight/depth/length/mouthfeel befitting its cost. One of the best Washington cabs I've had in some time. Easily eclipses the Palengat, in my estimation.
2010 Tenuta Sette Ponti Oreno Toscana IGT SuperTuscan Blend
LOVELY. A meaningless descriptor, I know, but you have to understand that I was sitting there with a soulless Guado al Tasso (also a '10) that tasted and smelled of nothing but oak so the Tuscan perfume and lithe palate presence of the Oreno was especially welcome and impressive. Must buy me some.
2010 Tenuta Guado al Tasso (Antinori) Bolgheri Superiore Red Blend
My first baby Guado red. Big wine; red, black and blue fruit, charcoal, chocolate bar and mint. Seems rather 'international' at this point; clumsy with oak and not reading 'Italy' in any way--especially side by side with the '10 Oreno, which does. Would look forward to tasting another bottle in about ten years but it's pointless drinking this now.
2012 Steele Wines Zinfandel Pacini Vineyard Mendocino
Was a fan of the Steele Pacini in '09 and '10, but this one is screachy, thin, green and acidic. Avoid!
2012 Duckhorn Vineyards Zinfandel Decoy Sonoma County
Duckhorn should be embarrassed to put their name on an overacidic, dilute underachiever like this. If this is what the Decoy brand is all about, I've bought my last one. Last place, deservedly so.
2012 Carol Shelton Wines Zinfandel Monga Zin® Lopez Vineyard Cucamonga Valley
Rancho Cucamonga zin? Yeah, from 1918 vineyards planted 60 miles east of Los Angeles on the road to San 'Berdoo'. Stood out as different in a tasting of usual-suspect No Cal zins, and yet it was unmistakably zinfandel. All red fruit with sweet notes of strawberry and rye spice plus what I can't find any other name for than 'bug spray'. Not a fave of mine but in the top three to the 55 tasters I served it to. And a story: when I was a kid sometimes the doctor two doors down would take his daughter and I with him on weekend house calls. One patient we invariably saw took us out in the direction of West Covina and while there, Dr. Mieras would invariably stop at one of those San Antonio Winery outposts that were dotted around the southland in those days to buy a few jugs (and then he'd pay us hush money not to tell Sally's mom). His jug wine could have been made with fruit from this same vineyard!
2008 Nickel & Nickel Zinfandel Ponzo Vineyard Russian River Valley
Big, rich Napaesque black and blue zin fruit, with that distinct black raspberry old vine flavor. Turns liquerish in weight and picks up a bit of iodine with time in the glass. Needs more time.
2010 Steele Wines Zinfandel Old Vine Zin Pacini Vineyard Mendocino County
Bought five bottles to serve at a wine tasting, and only discovered when I went to open them that I had vintages 10, 10, 10, 12 and 09. CRAP. A quick vertical at the kitchen sink revealed that the '10 is the best, thank god, and the more resolved 09 not far behind. (What did I do with the different vintages? Lord forgive me but I made a cuvee.) Classic 'zinberry' fruit with good spice, minerals, and a satisfying loamy underpinning on the '10.
