Long time listner, first time caller. Love the topic.

Best – Carlisle. The 2007 Sonoma county is incredible. Really everything Officer is doing is fantastic. Runners up: Four Vines, T-Vine, Seghesio and Brown.

Worst – or maybe most dissapointing… Saldo from O.Swift. Not bad wine but so much hype for CA appellated Zin @ $20. Don’t get it.

Sorry to be snarky, but I sooo wanted today’s QOTD to be “what wines bug the hell out of you, make you hate trees and lousy wine labels, and make you blow up in frustration at the camera?” (Or something along those lines).

I’m not criticizing your performance at all — in fact I found it wildly entertaining 🙂 And to answer *that* QOTD… well, I’ll let you know if and when I find a wine that has all those different effects on me 🙂

Hey Gary,

Great show as usual. Have to agree somewhat with one of the comments you read: The shows just feel more “homey” and interesting without a guest (unless it’s your brother). Hahahaha!

QOTD: Favorite – Alapay Central Coast, CA Zinfandel 2005
Least Favorite – Kendall Jackson Vinter’s Reserve 2005 Zinfandel

Brian Thomas Clark

least favourite was Fetzer Zin must of been a vintage or two ago, my “favourite” and remember I dont drink Zin often was Seven Deadly Zins

Hi, I’m a wine steward for safeway or Vons. QOTD 2007 Segehiso from Sonoma is one of the best zins I’ve tasted for the price.

Searidge zin is the worst. This stuff tasts like blahhh

Best Zin – Storybook Mountain Mayacamas

Worst Zin – Syrupy Lodi Zins (Ex. Klincker Brick)

All time best zinfandel: Ridge 1994 Lytton Springs. Everything you expect in a zin, plus the seductive complexity and perfumes that go on and on and make you keep sticking your nose back in the glass for another sniff.

Gary,

Must say I have just watched your show for the first time, found wonderfully entertaining. Old Vine Zins are my personal choice of Zins, I find that the extra aged vines give the texture a velvety/earthy touch without being Jammy (like the often dispised Lodi Zins and I am not too impressed with Old Vine Lodi Zins either). Old-vine Zinfandel tastes and smells so different than Zins from younger vines that it could be a different grape

My Faves include: Kunde (has an excellent OVZ), Renwood (bottled by individual vinyard), and Seghesio, however, there are some great Old-Vine Clones like Alder Brook (pieces of an old Vine grafted with younger vine stock to give that older opulent/velvety/earthy taste without having to wait 50+ years).
Alas some of the best I ever had came from Rancho Cucamonga (De Ambrogio Ranch) bottled by Thornton, but the rumor has it that Most/All? of those vines were ripped out to make way for an expansion of the Ontario airport. (oh the Horror!)

More:
http://articles.latimes.com/2003/oct/11/business/fi-oldvines11

Gosh, I wrote up a comment last night but I know notice it never posted. I must have forgotten to hit “add comment”. Here’s what I remember:

Zins are a favorite of mine, so I really enjoy these episodes.

About the wines, I’m surprised about the Porter Bass. I’ve enjoyed past vintages. Well, at leaset there will not be a major run on these wines. I thought you would like the Neyers – that seems to be a producer you hone in well with. St. Francis did not surprise me. They always had a reputation for heavy oak, which I believe they use American. It looks they their rep. continues strong.

A poster – Lou, I believe, asked about how the St. Francis can be so oaked when it’s fermented in stainless steel. I believe it’s about the barrel aging process, that comes after the fermentation stage. St. Francis must barrel age in strong oak, American I believe. In addition, this is an ’04 vintage so possibly they have an extended barrel aging time before they release their wines. Thus, so much strong oak profile.

Gary – I think this may have gone unnoticed but you had a great comment on zin pricing near the start of the episode. It is so true that special zins are now in the $30’s, therefore many others have tried other regions (Spain, Portugal, Rhones, etc.) Especially in Ohio’s crazy three tier state mandated pricing structure. Ridge Geyser and Lytton, as well as Owen Swift’s the Prisoner, are $38. A poster mentioned Owen Swift’s Salado – it’s $30 in Ohio (for a California designate wine), not the $20 he’s referring to. Seghesio’s single vineyard’s (Home Ranch, Old Vine) also upper $30’s. The list goes on …

QTD – Favorite zin – There have been many. Ridge Geyser and Lytton from various vintages in the ’90’s. The original Lytton Springs winery (black label) – something in the later “80’s” vintage, I believe. Elyse Morisoli ’97, various Carlisle’s in the ’00’s vintages, initial Pezzi King release (I think it was ’94), Limerick Lane in the ’90’s, various Raffanelli, Nalle, initial Dasche release. This list goes on …

Least favorite – I just don’t tend to enjoy the low priced, value zins. Items like Ravenswood Vintner’s Blend, Barefoot Celler’s, entry Bogle, etc. They are not distinctive enough for me.

Great episode – love the topic!

Fovorite zins…. two of them… Bella Lily Hill Estate (any vintage, but the 2004 and 2005 vintages are monsters right now) and the Forgeron Cellars (Walla Walla) zin, which also packs that funky Walla Walla terroir thing…

For “cheaper” quality zins, the 2007 Dasche Sonoma County zin is realllly drinking well already, and the basic bottles from Quivira and Bella are always good. Of course, the Seghesio Sonoma County zin is another one that you can always trust, and it isn’t the “monster” that many are.

Least favorite? Too many to mention… but the Ravenswood Vintners Cuvee and almost all of the syrupy, overripe grocery store types you can buy in the $10 to $20 range.

I had a quick taste of the Saldo Zin recently. It’s everywhere. 15.5% and really complex/intense. Like it. BEST…LABEL….EVER.

Fav: Any Turley zin but my most memorable was a 1985 Lytton Spring from Ridge. First time I had that level of zin and been in love since.
Worst? Don’t remember.
Gary: if it pisses off your mouth, give it 60 or less. None of this “Gentlemen’s C” grade of 75. 75 is passing.

Favorite Dashe Cellars Todd Brothers, and Ridge Geyservilles
Least favorite Rosenblum Lodi or Mazzocco

I meant to add Dashe Enfant Terrible.. all natural lighter style

My best zin: 2006 Rosenblum Cellars Zinfandel, Paso Robles, 14.9% abv, $14.99 at Costco. Aroma: berries and abundant ocean spray — worth lingering over; taste: licorice, tobacco, and pepper with moderate, integrated tannins, full mouthfeel, and lasting finish. Delicious — my faith in Rosenblum is restored. Reasonably priced at $15/bottle (Costco). It’s worth paying the extra fin to avoid the value-priced mediocrity of Rosenblum Vintner’s Cuvee XXX.

My worst zin: NV Rosenblum California Zinfandel, Vintner’s Cuvee XXX, 14.6% abv, Costco, $10.39 Mediocre taste, one step above plonk — little to recommend it. Can do better at this price.

Too many good zins, but tie for the best between an 06 VIE “L’Etranger” Zin, Syrah, Petite Sirah blend and 07 Ridge Geyserville (still remember the lavender, chamomille, bacon, meaty components…).

Worst: Vodka spiked Kool-Aid, er, White Zin.

Hey Gary,

Saw the Oak monster coming a mile away. Only had a couple St. Francis wines bot both were the most over oaked pieces of crap I’ve ever tasted. It does taste liking biting in to a tree because all you can taste is the wood.

QOTD: Best Zin – COSENTINO! The CigarZin is just so delish….

NoazDad

Nice, I like the George Brett reference. What’s your most memorable George Brett moment? Getting tossed for the Pine Tar incident, or missing a World Series game for hemorrhoid surgery?

Fave Zin: Ancient Peaks from Paso Robles. I’m not a big zin fan but this one is nice. Also Ridge is always good.

$15 06’Klinker brink: huge lodi zin, toasted with milky chocolate raisinette’s.
Alot of wine for the price.

Never have had the pleasure to try Carlisle, for now 07′ seghesio sonoma, best bang for the buck.

Also 04′ Australia’s Kangrilla Zin is f’ing delish. $20 nice qpr

Good show, interesting that other folks like myself dislike guests, EXCEPT your father…I think you are off on your reference to Evander. True, he didn’t have a knockout punch, but he weighed MUCH less than his opponents he was essentially a jacked up light heavyweight. Check out the Bowe fights it looked like Evander was fighting a building, he would have needed a baseball bat to knock out bowe. So I could see the reference to the Neyers if it costs $10. I wonder if Ricky Hatton, all style with no chin or punch is a better reference for the Nyers.

Ridge from the late 80’s through late 90’s. Ridge is still good now as well.

Gary, I’ve been a fan for just over a year now and you are the “the man”. Straight forward talk about wine, fair ratings and great info. Just watched the Zin show, great comments. There is a group of us in Bishop CA that think you should do a road trip here for a show. You and Mot would have a great time. Keep up the good work, I know I have expanded my knowledge of wines and sampling, thank you. GO JETS!!!

Favorite Zin – lately Zynthesis, Lodi, Old Vine, 2007

Worst – Rosenbloom, weak

BTW I also purchased a bottle of the Wayne Gretzky, No. 99 2005 Icewine Vidal
WOW it was worth eery bit of the $50 that I paid, a great treat for those that like an after dinner drink with a little choc and a great cigar.

Until the next show

Dave