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WTN: Joseph Swan 2006 Mancini Ranch Zinfandel

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Peter May

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WTN: Joseph Swan 2006 Mancini Ranch Zinfandel

by Peter May » Mon Jul 28, 2014 6:05 pm

Not what we expected, and although a pleasant wine we were disappointed.

It's a 14.9% abv Cal Zin, yet has pale thin red colour and is very light bodied.

Expected more 'ooomph'; more flavour, more body, more of everything.
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Re: WTN: Joseph Swan 2006 Mancini Ranch Zinfandel

by JC (NC) » Tue Jul 29, 2014 6:09 pm

I loved the 2007 vintage of this. Sorry the 2006 disappointed you.
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Re: WTN: Joseph Swan 2006 Mancini Ranch Zinfandel

by John Treder » Tue Jul 29, 2014 10:07 pm

My bottle of '06 Mancini was light in color as well. I did like its tart, old-fashioned ('60s) character.
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Re: WTN: Joseph Swan 2006 Mancini Ranch Zinfandel

by Jenise » Thu Jul 31, 2014 1:39 pm

Peter, are you familiar with Swan wines? 06 produced some light wines all over California so vintage is probably largely at fault here, but while they're not deliberately delicate Swan wines are never big oomph-y style wines. Always about finesse.
My wine shopping and I have never had a problem. Just a perpetual race between the bankruptcy court and Hell.--Rogov
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Re: WTN: Joseph Swan 2006 Mancini Ranch Zinfandel

by John Treder » Thu Jul 31, 2014 8:42 pm

Right. Swan and Rafanelli are poles apart.
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Re: WTN: Joseph Swan 2006 Mancini Ranch Zinfandel

by Peter May » Sat Aug 02, 2014 6:43 am

Jenise wrote:Peter, are you familiar with Swan wines?


No. Nor Cal vintages, nor Zinfandel any more.

Zin here falls into two camps -- the supermarket mass-production Gallo and all its labels sold at prices so cheap it looks like dumping, and a few top names like Ridge, Swan, Seghisio in independent shops at expensive prices. No middle ground.

Oh, 'cept for Ravenswood Vintners series

So I don't go for the first and the second are special treats.
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Re: WTN: Joseph Swan 2006 Mancini Ranch Zinfandel

by Peter May » Sat Aug 02, 2014 6:46 am

Oh, and Delicato whose Zins appear under various different labels in restaurants but I assume they are that producers basic wines with inflated restaurant prices.
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Re: WTN: Joseph Swan 2006 Mancini Ranch Zinfandel

by Jenise » Sat Aug 02, 2014 10:10 am

Peter May wrote:Oh, and Delicato whose Zins appear under various different labels in restaurants but I assume they are that producers basic wines with inflated restaurant prices.


You got it right. Delicato is another corporate brand--mediocre product for mass market.
My wine shopping and I have never had a problem. Just a perpetual race between the bankruptcy court and Hell.--Rogov
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Re: WTN: Joseph Swan 2006 Mancini Ranch Zinfandel

by John Treder » Sat Aug 02, 2014 12:28 pm

Ok, I'll stick my neck out here. If you were to compare the Mancini Zin to a village Burgundy in weight, color and general character (obviously the fruit flavors would differ), what would you think?
Swan is as noted for Pinot Noir as it is for Zin.
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Re: WTN: Joseph Swan 2006 Mancini Ranch Zinfandel

by Peter May » Thu Aug 07, 2014 6:44 am

John, now you say that, yes I can see it.

It was more like than a PN than what I expected of a Zin. I know there's no 'right' or 'classical' way to craft Zin, but I won't be buying any more from this label.
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Re: WTN: Joseph Swan 2006 Mancini Ranch Zinfandel

by JC (NC) » Thu Aug 07, 2014 10:53 am

Again I think the vintage may be more at fault than the producer.
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Re: WTN: Joseph Swan 2006 Mancini Ranch Zinfandel

by Jenise » Thu Aug 07, 2014 12:13 pm

Peter May wrote:John, now you say that, yes I can see it.

It was more like than a PN than what I expected of a Zin. I know there's no 'right' or 'classical' way to craft Zin, but I won't be buying any more from this label.


Oh don't do that! Swan is one of the best wineries in California--highly, highly regarded by geeks, including me--for both zinfandel and pinot noir. Exceptional. BUT, 2006 was a difficult vintage.
My wine shopping and I have never had a problem. Just a perpetual race between the bankruptcy court and Hell.--Rogov
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Re: WTN: Joseph Swan 2006 Mancini Ranch Zinfandel

by John Treder » Thu Aug 07, 2014 12:28 pm

I agree with JC and Jenise. '06 was a difficult year for Zin, and Mancini vineyard was very old vines - between 80 and 100 years. I think I remember it was replanted a couple of years ago, but my memory is sometimes a bit faulty about such things.

BTW, I have two more bottles of Swan Mancini '06 among the 14 Swan Zins and 20 Swan PNs in my cellar. Did I say I liked Rod's winemaking? :lol:
Next time you come to California.....
John in the wine county
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Re: WTN: Joseph Swan 2006 Mancini Ranch Zinfandel

by JC (NC) » Fri Aug 08, 2014 7:44 pm

I found this note I posted on a different 2006 Joseph Swan Zinfandel:
2006 Joseph Swan Vineyards Zinfandel Trenton Station--Lion Ridge, Napa Valley, CA. One participant who had been eagerly looking forward to the Zins, called this "harsh." I was disappointed in it and wondered if it was a flawed bottle or perhaps over-the-hill. The Scottish lass, who usually has somewhat the same taste in wines as I do, liked this one better than the next Zin. I gave it B- and maybe should have given it a C. Normally I like Joseph Swan Zinfandels, Syrahs, and Pinot Noirs.

Now I am more convinced than before that 2006 was not a favorable vintage.
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Re: WTN: Joseph Swan 2006 Mancini Ranch Zinfandel

by John Treder » Sat Aug 09, 2014 12:16 am

Ah yes. I think Lion Ridge is a block in the Trenton Station vineyard across the road from the Swan estate.
Here's my note from October '13: Really pretty light ruby color. Really pretty cherry-raspberry aroma. A little sweet on opening, filled out in an hour. to show brambles and something like oregano – herbal but not sweet. Definiteyl RRV rather than Sonoma or DCV.
I browsed through my notes and overall, my comments noted light color and more than the usual acidity from the various RRV and DCV bottles, and several times I noted that the wines should be opened sooner rather than later.
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Re: WTN: Joseph Swan 2006 Mancini Ranch Zinfandel

by Jenise » Sat Aug 09, 2014 2:09 pm

JC (NC) wrote:I found this note I posted on a different 2006 Joseph Swan Zinfandel:
2006 Joseph Swan Vineyards Zinfandel Trenton Station--Lion Ridge, Napa Valley, CA. One participant who had been eagerly looking forward to the Zins, called this "harsh." I was disappointed in it and wondered if it was a flawed bottle or perhaps over-the-hill. The Scottish lass, who usually has somewhat the same taste in wines as I do, liked this one better than the next Zin. I gave it B- and maybe should have given it a C. Normally I like Joseph Swan Zinfandels, Syrahs, and Pinot Noirs.

Now I am more convinced than before that 2006 was not a favorable vintage.


I've had lots of wan, thin 06's from Cali producers I've never had wan, thin wines from before, JC--Arcadian, Fiddletstix and Hitching Post come to mind but there have been many others. Generally all from grape source areas with coastal influences.

In the last 20 or so years we've got used to an array of all good and better vintages, we've kind of forgotten that really poor vintages exist--but what I've had of Cali 06's suggests this was one of those years.
My wine shopping and I have never had a problem. Just a perpetual race between the bankruptcy court and Hell.--Rogov

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