Sad that it was an 0-6 night. 🙁 QOTD: Dont think ive had more than one or two zins, and certianly cant remember anything about then. Def. need to try some more, and Id like to.

if you want good Zin, the only place to get it is Lodi, CA.

QOTD:

Love Storybook Mountain Napa Valley Reserve – had every vintage since 1999

I’m very late getting this comment to you (I just recently found Wine Library TV (shocking I know)) but to answer your question, one of the best Zins I’ve had lately was the 2005 Chateau Montelena Zinfandel. Have you ever tried this, I’d love to get your thought on this particular wine. Thanks Julie

Gary,
I’m just getting into wine, for I have only been able to legally purchase it for about a month. I’ll preface my statement with this: I am a college student. This means a small budget which results in big-time disappointment when a wine doesn’t wow me.

I absolutely LOVE the show. Consequently, I have followed you advice trying to sample as many varieties as possible. I decided to try Zinfandel tonight – a Ravenswood Napa Zin 2006 jumped out at me on the grocery store shelf and I got it. I have had their petite syrah and liked it so I assumed their Zin would be a big play for me. Immediately I caught big-time fruit on the nose. On the mouth some of the spices and vanilla got me too. However, the fruit felt artificial in the mouth. For the first 3 seconds this wine was great for me. Then…swallow! HEAT. That alcohol carried through and killed it. What was funny was the toothpaste thing. I kept thinking menthol or paste or something…then you nailed it. Hindsight 20/20, I would have scored this an 80 for my palette. I am inexperienced with both tasting and scoring, however, I have watched your show enough to know to trust my own palette. It was just a bit discouraging to see my $13 destroyed.

Just thought a novice college students perspective would be interesting to (you?) and others. Here’s my question to you: What are the three best wines under $10 that a college student (such as myself) could get into?

Cheers,
Brandon
The College of Wooster
http://www.wooster.edu

Used to go to the ZAP at Fort Mason when I lived up in the Bay Area. Hendry used to a nice job. Liked Seghasio across the board. Ridge was solid. Dusi Ranch is a nice fruit source. Was interesting that the Howell Mountain fruit showed big on the nose and failed in the glass, many of my favorite cabs are sourced there.

I generally prefer the paso zins for the pepper, have a number that I like down there. But was nice to see Rosenbloom take the best of the worst. Alameda suffers from being close to Oakland and well, in a way this really fits for the East Bay. And speaking of Alameda, might be a show in the Hangar One distillers…not sure that anyone else has done a “swords into spirits” transition at an abandoned military base, but they do some fun stuff.

qotd: The Dickerson Vineyard from Ravenswood was really good, some of their others I’ve had were not

93/100

line of the day – ‘like a big, serious tyre was just stuffed into your nosepiece’

As usual Gary is sensational in blind tastings. God does he know his sh*t. And hilarious was his unintentional diss of Mott. When Mott mumbles about not being able to put a future show up early Gary says, ‘I got it, I know how to click a button’ Now we all know how much work Mott actually does. (but we still love him)