Zinfandel tasting – Blind.

Zinfandel tasting – Blind. – Episode #583

November 24, 2008

Gary Vaynerchuk is sky high after a huge Jets wine and his beard is getting thicker and thicker as he tries 6 California Zinfandels BLIND right before Thanksgiving.

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Comments on this episode(231) Leave a comment ›

“Used to go to the ZAP at Fort Mason when I lived up in the Bay Area. …” by G
“Gary,
I’m just getting into wine, for I have only been able to legall…” by Brandon
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Wines tasted in this episode:

2006 Sebastiani Dry Creek ZinfandelSonoma Red Zinfandel
Coppola Diamond ZinfandelOther California Red Zinfandel
2005 Thomas Henry ZinfandelSonoma Red Zinfandel
2006 Outpost Zinfandel Howell MountainNapa Red Zinfandel
2006 Rosenblum Richard Sauret ZinfandelOther California Red Zinfandel
2006 Ravenswood Napa ZinfandelNapa Red Zinfandel

Not in this episode

2006 Neyers Zinfandel High Valley.

Links mentioned in today’s episode.

231 Responses

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November 24, 2008

@Direstraits94
My favorite zin is The Prisoner from Orin Swift. Limited production, hard to get.
November 24, 2008

Slushpuppy
Brother Gary: You definitely have your Mo-Jo working again! I’m glad the Jets knocked off TN; however, I feel that will also help them to focus. The question is, can Favre maintain His focus, or will he fall apart down the stretch. Good luck, and smell it first!
November 24, 2008

Loy V
You really don’t need to be apologetic most Zinfandels under $20 usually are not worth the effort. Overall, it is hard to find any that rate over 90 and don’t cost an arm and a leg. Good quality Zins are hard to find. Maybe winemakers think if people will drink white Zinfandel they will drink anything.

Qoth: Carlisle is tasty and reasonable, while Ridge always has a good selection of blends. My biggest disappointment is the over priced Martinelli and Turley Zins.
November 24, 2008

WineWoman
QOTD: Klinker Brick Zin, The Pines “1852″ Washington State–similar to the Neyers. I also enjoy Brown and Chiarello Zin. There was a Coturri Zin that was very port-like that I enjoyed, but the next vintage was horrible. It tasted cooked and disjointed. Unfortunately I bought 3 or 4 bottles, not realizing the vintage substitution. They were all terrible.
November 24, 2008

drydrew
QOTD – best zin ive had recently was my very own 2007
November 24, 2008

morgan
LOVE the blind Mondays Gary…i think it’s great to see you taste without knowing the brand because that’s just something that will always play a role in ratings, no matter how little bias you have!

qotd – haven’t had any, was hoping to pick up a couple of recommendations by watching the show…needless to say, i won’t be dropping any bones on any of those vinos…
November 24, 2008

Michael Schoonmaker
I just can’t kick my college-made association of zinfandels with Arbor Mist / Box-O wine. Regardless, I do feel bad that you couldn’t kick that stereotype of mine. Oh well.

You look so crushed! I hope the rest of your week goes better!
November 24, 2008

KenP
One of the finest episodes I’ve ever seen of WLTV.
With an increasingly long series of brilliant WLTV eps this one deserves attention because of its brutal honesty. GV at work. He has one of the finest palates in the biz. Amply on display here. Immediate. Gripping.
And today, as a bonus, he was funny as hell. His dry humor made me laugh repeatedly.

Superb work, GV.
November 24, 2008

David
Another great show. I have not had many Zins and none worth remembering so no QOTD answer here. Blind Mondays sounds like a really great thing to do. Takes the brand out of it, which is quite interesting given how big you are on personal brand. Makes a good show.
November 24, 2008

Timinspokane
I LOVE KILLER ZINS!!!!!!! and I hate cheap, goopy, syrupy ones…. Great calls on the wines, Gary V! I have had a few of those, and I am not a fan…

QOTD – I will give you three zins that continually rock my world – two for the wine itself, and one for the price point. The ROCKERS are just about any vintage of Bella Vineyards Lily Hill Estate zin (Dry Creek Valley), retails at $38, which is typically blended with about 10% petit syrah. It is a big boy, but with enough acidity and balance to cut through the massive fruit! The second ROCKER is the Forgeron Cellars 2005 or 2006 (both killer) Walla Walla zinfandel, which retails at about $30. This wine shows that funky, barnyardy, earthy, terroir-driven Walla Walla thang, but also with fabulous fruit (dark cherry, plum, and a touch of cranberry shining through), made in a more European claret style. It isn’t your typical zin, but what a fabulous, interesting play on a typically abused varietal! I also like, especially for the price, the Brassfield 2006 Round Mountain zin. I buy it on sale at my local grocery store for about $16. It is a more straight ahead zin, but not too jammy or goopy. It too has great acids and is simply a nice drinking zin for the money.

The last one I absolutely HATED was the Ravenswood Vinters Cuvee. I don’t remember the number after it, but it totally sucked. It tasted like cough syrup and prune juice blended with a little Castrol 10W40 motor oil blended in, topped with a fur ball hocked up three days ago from my 13 year old cat… It sucked.

Bon Appetit!
November 24, 2008

Glen,....winecrazy.com
Gary Gary Gary…!!!!!

Gotta love the wall of wine in the background. Everyone should have one of those!

QOTD: Turley is always in my top 5 Fav’s…..lol

Worst zin…hmmmm….I think it has to be…..drum roll please…Martinelli Jack Ass….which was corked and I had to send it back to where I bought it from….lol. I thought I got it from Dennis but I went back into my file cabinet and found I got it from J. Buckley…lol
November 24, 2008

Geoff
QOTD: the ‘92 Renwood Grand Pere (Zinfandel) ranks up there with the ‘92 Sean Thackeray Orion (Syrah?) as one of the best bottles I have ever had. There have been many disappointing Zins, like the ‘91 Ridge Lytton Springs which tasted like distilled Oak, but nothing could possibly be as bad as …. well, as I’m writing this I thought of another … the few I have tried by Coturri which are simultaneously sweet and vinegar-y and some late nineties Spenker Lodi which was sweet, yet vinegar-y, with burnt rubber-y, musky, sweaty animal-like nasty odors. Just absolutely horrid bovine excrement.
November 24, 2008

Leonard
It always appears that with the blind tasting, the scores are a little lower. Just an observation. Maybe I am not remembering accurately, but it seems so.

QOTD:

The best I have tasted so far is the Layer Cake Primitivo 2006 from Italy. Not sure what the worst is. I forget about them.
November 24, 2008

KW
QOTD: Seghesio Old Vines 2001 – great wine with a little age.
Too many cheap Zins under $15 – disappointing.
November 24, 2008

Mrbuzz
You nailed the pepper in the Outpost Zin…but personally believe the wine was WAY too young to show its true quality. For God-sakes…the wine was just shipped out from the Winery…. Outpost is a monster(surprised you didn’t comment on the 16.2% alc??)and needs a year or so to calm down. NEVER have thought of these wines as “over oaked”?? LOVE the pepper though!!

Sorry that you had such a downer in this tasting…….Zins blind can be an amazing experience! Maybe a plate of bbq ribs on the side would have made it better!!
November 24, 2008

jason carey
Gary i love..
RRV zin is under rated.. Harvest Moon from the RRV and Dashe Cellars. I love the zins with higer acidity.. I also love Quivira. and of course Ridge. Also like the Ravenswood Teldeschi vineyard 2005

Disagree abut the Rosenblum. to me its a 83 pointer. I think their wines are over extracted latey however my GF loves them so go figure, I must say that to me they all taste like port, and if I want port I will buy port instead of zin

The worst zin recently was a Mazzoco way too over the top.. again
November 24, 2008

J Crazy
I’m a huge fan of Cali Zin but was also disappointed at some of the wines at the Grand California Wine Tasting I went to in Tokyo a few weeks ago. I had the Coppola and wasn’t impressed. I have to say that I haven’t had a Cali Zin that knocked me out lately. I guess I just have to drink more.
November 24, 2008

thecobalt9
QOTD – best zin ive had recently was the 2005 Turley grist vineyards zin, worst was a cline old vines zin, not sure, the vintage, but just bad, fake, junk.
November 24, 2008

BobbyTiger
Gary. It was the wines that was disappointing, not the show.
Never-the-less, it was fun to watch, and to see you, yet again, spot on.
Don’t do much Zin. Usually drink Ravenswood or Gnarley Head. I prefer to set my sights low.
November 24, 2008

Thiago
JETS 34!!!!

titans 13

HELLO SUPERBOWL!!!!!!

Congrats on the Blind Monday, never tried a Zin, they’re not so easy to find here where I live…

Cheers from South America!

Thiago from Brazil
November 24, 2008

Little Jonny H
I feel like I’ve just witnessed MJ at the top of his game against my Cavaliers or the Utah Jazz. That was a RIDICULOUS performance. I can’t wait to see what you can do during the next blind tasting. I know that the purpose of this format is not to prove your palate’s legitimacy, but it is fun to watch when you’re on fire like that! It will be just as fun the day when you’re way off (still waiting for that to happen…)!!!

QOTD: Uh… not drinking a lot of Zin. Last one I had was Ravenswood Lodi 2005, and it was fantastic! -funny that you mention it on the show today
November 24, 2008

Bill
Love um blind. GJ GV.

qotd: Big Turley fan. Had a Turley Old Vines recently, and it was very nice. Great with some nice burgers.

The worst Zin I ever had was produced by Bogle. It tasted like, not exactly gasoline, but some other sort of petroleum product. Awful crap.
November 24, 2008

Manual
QOTD : Best recently would be a tie between the 2003 Caparone from Paso Robles (especially on the second night of being opened) and the 2005 Nalle from Dry Creek in Sonoma. The least favorite was a Zin based wine, The Clayhouse Adobe Red. The wine was a mess.
November 24, 2008

Marc-China Wine Tours
QOTD: Coturri Vineyards Zin…awesome! All the other Zins I’ve tried…meh.
November 24, 2008

Dominus
“Best smelling fart in the room!” A great analogy but unfortunately the wines tonight tried to attain that moniker.

I loved this show but was hoping to see a review of the Haywood Los Chamizal which rocks my world every time I try it. Rocky Terrace is great juice too.

QOTD: I’m having the Neyers as I watch your show though the Haywood is my fav Zin hands down. Worst? I would have to say I cannot remember any bad ones since I buy only the ones you recommend. I had the Ridge Geyserville on vacation a few months back which was amazing.

Congrats to the Jets!

P.S. What are you drinking on Thanksgiving?

Cheers and Go Colts!