Zinful Pleasures

This may be my last post for a couple of weeks, but it will be Zinfully Delicious and I will be back with even more great wine to talk about.

One of my graduation wines was Zinfandel (no not white). I was very early twenties and had really started moving away from anything sweet and cheap post 21 (19 is Ontario's drinking age before you get any troubling ideas). So it was not literally a wine for my graduation but a wine that helped me move into grown up wines.

I drank very good Zinz from Ridge: Howell Mountain. Storybook Mountain, Rosenblum etc. They broke the bank but it was a luxury and less expensive versions just weren't around then (Ontario, some unmentionable number of years ago). The wines were fruit forward but also had fabulous structure and complexity.

The market is pretty flooded now so you don't always see this, sometimes they are just jammy, but not the ones below, they are lovely and excellent value and my 23 year-old self would have been very jealous of the options at these price-points.

Kunde Family Estate - Sonoma Valley - 2007 Zinfandel $16.95
Classic Zin & one of the few wines I have had that matched the description on the back: Boysenberry, cloves, anise, black pepper - good acid blance. Great price!

http://www.lcbo.com/lcbo-ear/lcbo/product/details.do?language=EN&itemNumber=965921
http://www.kunde.com/2007-zinfandel

Alexander Valley Vineyards - Redemption 2007 Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma $21.00
Dark berry & clove. Beautiful full mouth with a long pepper finish.
http://www.avvwine.com/scripts/display_product.php?product_id=103

V. Sattui Winery - Crow Ridge Old Vine - 2008 Zinfandel, Napa Valley $35.00
Cherry jam and pepper on the nose, lovely dry briarberry palate with a hint of pepper. A beaut!
http://www.vsattui.com/Shop/Red-Wines

Jessup Cellars - 2006 Zinfandel, Napa Valley - $39.00
Mature nose, bumbleberry, dried plum - spicy, juicy red fruit - rich mouthfeel. Beautifully complex, long finish.
http://jessupcellars.com/

White Oak Winery - 2008 Alexander Valley Zinfandel, Sonoma $40.00
Cherry, cranberry and a toastiness on the nose. Fresh red fruit palate with a hint of nutmeg. Nice balance.

http://www.whiteoakwinery.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=64&Itemid=111

Sausel Winery - 2008 Century Vines Zinfandel, Sonoma - $40.00
Very elegant, fresh cherry and spice with a hint a vanilla. Lovely wine.

http://www.sausalwinery.com/Wines/

Michel-Schlumberger - Le Bon Cochon - 2009 Zinfandel/Syrah blend, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma $40.00
I love Syrah, I love Zin - I could not be happier with the blend - Very ripe black and red fruit with all-spice, complex, rich & velvety - drinking beautifully. Makes me want to go open a bottle...

http://www.michelschlumberger.com/index.cfm?method=storeproducts.showDrilldown&productid=e21d1805-f5b2-e37e-c8f5-e0edf9b731a2&ProductCategoryID=3302ec9c-95ad-0090-618a-bc6cc7a12a28&OrderBy=PXPC.DisplayOrder%20Asc,%20P.ProductName%20ASC