Wine & Spirits - February 2013 - (Page 53)

YEAR’S BEST ZINFANDEL our blind panels tasted 216 new-release american zinfandels over the past 12 months. our critics rated 26 as exceptional (90+) and 14 as Best Buys. Joshua Greene reviews California wines; Patrick J. Comiskey reviews Washington wines. Find a complete list of wines tasted and all reviews at wineandspiritsmagazine.com. Ca li fo rn i a 416482 2009 Howell Mountain Napa Valley Black Sears Vineyard Zinfandel ^ It’s rare for a California wine to smell so distinctly of where it is grown. Or, perhaps, it’s rare for a California vineyard to carry such distinct markers as Black Sears. It has the blackness of coal and caviar, the resinous concentration of tobacco, the stemmy floral scent of a rose. Black Sears rises to 2,400 feet on a northeast-facing saddle of Howell Mountain. Jerre Sears dry farms his bush vines of zinfandel, petite sirah and syrah (86 percent, 9 percent and 5 percent respectively of this blend). The wine ages in oak (70 percent of it new) at Robert Craig’s winery just down the road on the western side of that saddle; the oak enriches the texture and focuses the firm juiciness of the wine. It’s powerful but accessible now, suited to ten years of age. (294 cases; §W&S, 4/12) § Robert Craig Winery, Angwin, CA 95 | robert Craig years or more from the vintage. (800 cases; §W&S, 12/12) § Bella Vyds., Healdsburg, CA $50 lyptus and menthol as well as black cherry, all following a clean line. Built for food, this is ready to decant for meats off the grill. (350 cases; §W&S, 12/12) § Bella Vineyards, Healdsburg, CA 417367 2009 Green Valley Von Weidlich Vineyard Zinfandel (Best Buy) ^ This comes from a protected hillside in Green Valley where the dry-farmed vines were planted in 1907 and 1937. Predominately zinfandel, the vineyard includes some petite sirah, the grapes picked and fermented together. The result is a wine that transforms from a black velvet nap into delicious fresh fruit as it takes on air. This starts out in layered flavors of chocolate and green chilies, narrowing to a line of red fruit in the finish. On the second day, it’s opened to lively strawberries and cream; on the third, its fresh fruit is a humble and glorious essence of zin. To cellar or decant for spit-roasted boar. (150 cases; §W&S, 6/12) § DeLoach Vineyards, Santa Rosa, CA 417365 2009 Russian River Valley OFS Zinfandel (Best Buy) ^ This is a barrel selection from five vineyards, including Boschetti, planted in the 1930s, and Alegria, planted before Prohibition. The old vines provide rich, fat textures while the coolest site, Von Weidlich, brings brighter notes to the fruit. This has the sunniness of a warm spot in the foggy Russian River Valley, open, breezy and bold. Its dark cherry flavors have a black and green peppercorn spice, the fruit holding fresh through several days of air. Built to age, this needs several hours in a decanter to show its best with rack of lamb. (290 cases; §W&S, 6/12) § DeLoach Vineyards, Santa Rosa, CA 420373 93 | Deloach $34 418800 2009 Napa Valley Estate Reserve Zinfandel ^ Jerry Seps grows racy zin in the hills northwest of Calistoga. His Estate Reserve is built to evolve over the course of a decade or more. Catch this wine now for its floral scents, its fragrant and lush red fruit, for the comforting warmth of sun on stone. There’s nothing overt about the alcohol, which opens the flavors but remains hidden in the structure, balanced by firm, dark tannins with the cool feel of the earth. Decant it for short ribs, or hide it away in the cellar. (500 cases; §W&S, 10/12) § Storybook Mountain Vyds., Calistoga, CA 94 | Storybook Mountain $65 93 | Deloach $30 419429 94 | Bella $38 2009 Alexander Valley Big River Ranch Zinfandel ^ An old-fashioned style of zin, this is structured straight through, without a hint of hyperripeness. The blend is based on a 14-acre block of 110-year-old vines, their limited crop yielding a wine that’s savory in the middle, its broad tannins enriched by flavors of black cherries and crushed strawberries. Those tannins yield a dark, earthy character as the wine extends into the finish. Impressive for its length and breadth, and for the satisfaction it will give when more fully mature, ten 93 | Seghesio $38 419428 93 | Bella $35 2009 Dry Creek Valley Belle Canyon Zinfandel ^ This buzzes with floral scents and plump strawberry flavor. Spice comes on to darken the tone of the wine, bringing euca- 2010 Alexander Valley Home Ranch Zinfandel ^ Edoardo Seghesio planted this vineyard in 1895 on the western benchlands of the Alexander Valley, those original vines accounting for about one-third of this zin. The cool 2010 season created this complex blend with petite sirah (9 percent), a wine that develops floral scents over layers of tar, WINE & SPIRITS FEBRUARY 2013 53 http://www.wineandspiritsmagazine.com http://store.storybookwines.com http://www.bellawinery.com/wine-shop http://www.bellawinery.com/wine-shop

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wine & Spirits - February 2013

Wine & Spirits - February 2013
Editor’s Note
Happenings
Contents
Fined & Filtered
Austral Spirits
Petite Conversion
Sydney’s Sommelier Hangouts
Pinot Noir at the 46th Parallel
Extreme Patagonia
W&S Centerfold – Kimchi & Red Wine
Extreme Values
Introduction
Rhône Valley Reds & Whites
US Syrah
US Zinfandel
Catalan Wines
Chilean Cabernet & Carmenère
Argentine Malbec & Blends
American New Releases
Imported New Releases
New Books

Wine & Spirits - February 2013