WTN: Up the Creek

[David M. Bueker]

• 2018 Elyse Zinfandel Dry Creek - USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley (4/28/2025)
  Dry Creek Zinfandel Port! I first had this in 2021, and it was best as a pairing for almonds and blue cheese. Tonight it’s still the exact same wine. Yowza! Hard to understand how a 14.9% alcohol zin can be this intense. I actually like it a lot as an after dinner tipple, but with food it would have to be some really rich short ribs or something.

• 2018 Elyse Zinfandel Dry Creek - USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley (4/28/2025)
  Dry Creek Zinfandel Port! I first had this in 2021, and it was best as a pairing for almonds and blue cheese. Tonight it’s still the exact same wine. Yowza! Hard to understand how a 14.9% alcohol zin can be this intense. I actually like it a lot as an after dinner tipple, but with food it would have to be some really rich short ribs or something.

I'm genuinely confused by your note, David. To me, 14.9% Zin qualifies as quite mannerly these days and certainly well short of Port territory. Am I missing something here?

[David M. Bueker]

It tastes like Port.

It tastes like Port.

OK. A bit of sur-maturité, I suppose.