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Cork: Synthetic
Name: Rosenblum Richard Sauret Vineyard Zinfandel
Type: Zinfandel
Vintage: 2005
Region: California Central Coast, Paso Robles
Country: USA
Producer: Richard Sauret Vineyard
Price: $25.99
Purchased at: Wine.com
Date: 11/09/07
Served With: Ala Carte
Appearance: Looks pretty hearty for a Zin. Nice legs. Doesn’t look thin at all.
Aroma: Now this smells excellent - classic American oak, black pepper and hints of vanilla. It even smells complex!
Taste: Great complexity, spicy and smooth on top, finishes with baking spices.
Comments: We really enjoyed this wine. The aroma and initial flavors were reminiscent of the Spectacular Shiraz though not quite as full bodied. Yet it was very robust for a Zinfandel! This is quite possibly the best non-old vines Zin that I’ve ever had, certainly as robust as any Zinfandel I’ve ever had.

The bottle has a great “Pull Tab to Remember” feature on the back label. What a great way to conveniently remember whether you like the wine or not. Just pull the tab and put it in your wallet or purse and pull it out when you’re shopping for your next bottle of wine!

One thing to note is that there appear to be at least 2 different lines of Rosenblum wine. I was shopping at my favorite local wine shop and found the “appelation” line of Rosenblum wines. They are priced lower and we did have a Zin in that line at a friends house last week. It was good but not as good as this version.

Popularity: 53% [?]

It arrived today. The famous case of wine from the California Wine Hiker. One week after winning the award I have 12 fabulous bottles of wine to share with you all!

I know you would like to know what the inventory consists of. I know because if I were you I would want to know!

Before I reveal what this great case of wine consists of I want to whet your palate a bit. I know that wine ratings aren’t everything but this is, after all, a wine review blog and it’s worth noting that not a single rated bottle of wine in this case came in less than 90. There is one bottle that is not rated but after seeing everything else in the case I thoroughly trust the Wine Hiker.

Additionally, It seems to me that Russ put a lot of thought into choosing each bottle. I can’t say enough how appreciative I am of not only the wine but the thought that went into it. From Malbec to Muscat and Rose to G.A.M. the list doesn’t disappoint!

Now, let met pimp another site for just one second as I tell you that I have compiled the list of wines at wine.com. They allow you to create multiple wine lists, wish lists, etc. and also tell you the rating of each wine from various reviewers, whether or not it is an organic wine, a collectible wine and lots of other cool features as well.

So, without listing each wine here and without further adieu here’s the list of awarded wines from the Wine Hiker. Incidentally, each wine will be reviewed here!

Popularity: 72% [?]

Cork:Authentic
Name: Chessman Vineyards Old Vine Zinfandel Reserve
Type: Zinfandel
Vintage: 2005
Region: Paso Robles
Country: USA
Producer: Chessman Vineyards
Price: $13.99
Purchased at: Cheers Liquormart
Date: 11/18/07
Served With: Chili & Cornbread
Appearance: Dark & rich, deeper in color than most Zins
Aroma: A bit of blackberry and oak on the nose
Taste: Very mellow with a subdued fruit start, small hints of vanilla and a lingering, spicy finish!
Comments: Here’s a wine that came recommended by one of the wine guys at Cheers. He said it was one of the best Zins he’s had lately. I must agree! I really do like the old vine zins much better than regular zins for the most part. They seem to have a much smoother, longer finish and some offer hints of vanilla as this one does. Though some advertise “Old Vines” zins they can bowl me over with heat and fruit but this one has good balance and mellow”ness” that I like in a rich, robust Old Vine Zinfandel.

Popularity: 66% [?]

Cork:Authentic
Name: Lava Cap Zinfandel Reserve
Type: Zinfandel
Vintage: 2003
Region: El Dorado
Country: USA
Producer: Lava Cap Winery
Price: $15
Purchased at: BevMo
Date: 05/20/07
Served With: Hershey’s Special Dark with Almonds Nuggets
Appearance: Great raspberry color, nicely dispersed legs that drop long and slow
Aroma: Licorice and oaky
Taste: Black cherries, black currants, spicy!
Comments: Rich, heavy, bold…just my style!

This wine fits nicely as a daily drinkable. I was drinking this after dinner with a little dessert but I think it makes an excellent 2nd bottle with or without food. The variety of tastes in this bottle - black cherries, currants, etc. - make it enjoyable. I’m actually surprised that I can give this wine a solid 7 corks when drinking it immediately after the Spectacular Shiraz.

For a review of the same wine in a 2004 vintage have a look at the Wannabe Wino blog.

Popularity: 11% [?]

Cork:Authentic
Name: Ravenswood Vintners Blend
Type: Zinfandel
Vintage: 2005
Region: California
Country: USA
Producer: Ravenswood
Price: 9.99
Purchased at: D & B Wine & Liquor
Date: 06/15/2007
Served With: Pepperoni Pizza
Appearance: Pours thinner than a cab, active legs, deep color
Aroma: Just uncorked can smell a bit of alcohol though it quickly fades. Nice berry aromoas
Taste: BOLD, strong, makes a statement. Could be a bit raw and overpowering.
Comments: This makes an excellent 2nd bottle of wine among friends. Why? Because it can be a bit in-your-face for a novice wine drinker and if you’re not eating anything with it - even more so. However, after the first bottle of wine your palate is a bit numb (maybe your nose is too) and this is a nice pick-me-up. I like to drink this wine with extra-sharp cheddar cheese, blue cheese and anything else that has a very distinct flavor to it.

If you look at the Ravenswood website you’ll see that their slogan is “No Wimpy Wines!”. This wine certainly is NOT wimpy!

Buy the 2004 Napa version here.

Popularity: 14% [?]

Cork:Authentic
Name: Peachy Canyon - Incredible Red
Type: Zinfandel
Vintage: 2005
Region: Paso Robles
Country: USA
Producer: Peachy Canyon
Price: 11.99
Purchased at: D & B Wine & Liquor
Date: 06/15/2007
Served With: Pepperoni Pizza
Appearance: A bit thin, looks of medium body, weak legs
Aroma: Black raspberries, oak
Taste: This has the distinct taste of a raspberry Jolly Rancher. Definitely medium body, ok tannins
Comments: In keeping with “all wines are good” I didn’t particularly dislike this wine…it just didn’t stand out to me. It was of pleasant taste and medium body and the ladies loved it. Even with the Jolly Rancher liking it wasn’t particularly sweet. I supposed I’m just used to Zinfandel’s being bold, rich and strong. This Incredible Red was more like a Zinfandel Lite.

You can see some reviews from the 2004 version of Peachy Canyon Zinfandel here.

Popularity: 12% [?]

Cork: Real
Name: Bogle Vineyards
Type: Old Vine Zinfandel
Region: Clarksburg, CA
Country: USA
Producer: Bogle Vineyards,
Price: $10.99
Purchased at: Cost Plus
Date: 09/30/05
Served With: Chips & Salsa
Appearance: Medium Body, not very leggy
Aroma: Stinks like a rotting tree with a hint of vanilla
Taste: Too thin for my tastes. Not very bold…yet distinctive. This is the first time I’ve ever had “old vine” anything and I’m not impressed. The slight vanilla taste is nice but not enough to overcome its lack of body.
Comments:I suppose it’s enough to say that my wife and her friend enjoyed this wine. We have different tastes as I like the bold, bitey wines and they like the spicy stuff. This old vine zin doesn’t qualify as spicy but it has a distintive enough taste that I’ll remember it for a while. It’s not really bad it just doesn’t suit my tastes.
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Coming soon…reviews of Castillo de Molina Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile and Bodega Norton Malbec from Argentina!

Popularity: 7% [?]