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'99 Turley "Grist" Zinfandel: A pleasant surprise. I've liked the Grist in the past but it has always had the overblown, overripe Turley signature with the massive alcohol that goes with it. This year, even though the alcohol is still 15.4%, the wine has a much more balanced style to it. The nose has nice raspberry, cherry and black pepper aromas with a modicum of new wood showing through. The palate follows without the plumy/raisiny quality that has been present in so many Turley zins. Pretty tight over the first couple of hours, it opened up, giving forth more richness and complexity. I'm not unhappy. JD (6/01) '99 Turley "Estate" Zinfandel: Wow, this may be the best Turley zin I've had to date. Big fruit and spice on the nose. The palate follows with plenty of rich fruit and spice without being portlike. A little too much new toasty oak for my tastes but a great effort nonetheless. JD (6/01) 1 - 2 torches '95 Cline Cellars "Bridgehead": An object lesson in Old Vines zinfandel, in this case, from Contra Costa County. The tannin has resolved, the fruit is big and upfront, rich texture (that Old Vines influence) and with perceptible sweetness. I'm delighted when I find a zin these days that keeps the alcohol in check and doesn't seem pruney. Way too easy to drink. SY (3/01)
'97 Turley Winery "Grist" ($30): Blackberry, black cherry, plums and a flinty edge on the nose that I get with very ripe zinfandel. The palate follows in a full body style with only mild tannins. It's a bigun'. JD (6/99)
'97 Turley Winery "Old Vines" ($20): The only vineyard blend in the Turley lineup. The lack of terroir shows in the generic, overripe fruit and searing alcohol. JD (6/99)
'97 Turley Winery "Highway 101" ($35): This is a from a two acre vineyard in Geyserville. Big raspberry, blackberry, black cherry fruit with a hint of flint and cloves. Plenty of rich, ripe fruit on the palate without being overripe. There is also the presence of vanilla oak. Bright acidity keeps the palate lively and finish going. The wine has enough tannin to warrant a year or two of cellaring. JD (6/99)
'97 Turley Winery "Tofanelli" ($35): Brighter and better balanced than most of the Turleys', I really liked this one. Plenty of raspberry fruit and spice on the nose and palate with enough acidity to make the wine lively on the palate. Good juice with a long finish. JD (6/99)
'97 St. Francis "Old Vines" ($22): A perennial favorite, this vintage is a little odd. Amongst the ripe fruit, spice and modicum of toasty new oak is a peculiar burnt rubber aroma and flavor. Although not completely off putting, it's a definite detractor. Worth another try to see if it's consistent. JD (6/99)
'97 Topaz "Middle Aged Vines" ($25): Big aromas of raspberry fruit with a flinty edge. Flabby fruit with plenty of oak on the palate. Moderate tannins. Just misses being a really good zin.JD (8/99)
'97 BF Vintners "Old Vines" ($18): Muted fruit and oak on the nose. Good fruit on the palate with full tannins. Not a bad zin. JD (8/99)
'97 Hendry "Hendry Block 7" ($20): Blackberry and cherry aromas. Subdued dark fruit with dusty tannins in the mouth. Has definite potential but needs time to open up and shed some tannins. JD (7/99)
'97 Turley "Grist" $30: Big, ripe upfront fruit with some spice in the background. Although there's a lot of fruit, there is also plenty of structure and tannin to warrant a couple of years of aging. (8/99)
'93 St. Francis "Old Vines": At 15.4%, it's a big 'un. I usually hate big 'uns. I like this one. Very sweet, forward blackberry and raspberry fruit, quite full and jammy. No burn in the finish, just more fruit. Totally ready to go. The essence of Old Vines zin, before St. Francis started stepping up the oak. SY (8/99)
'97 Rabbit Ridge "Reserve" ($28): Big, ripe, jammy nose. Massive fruit and full tannins. The finish is fairly short. The alcohol is held to a reasonable 14%. If you're willing to pay these prices for zinfandel, then give it a try. JD (5/99)
'96 Sobon Estates "Rocky Top" ($14): Red berries on the nose, a little musty. The red fruit reappears on the palate in a fairly rich style. The finish is a little dry. Not a bad little zin for $14. JD (5/99)
'96 Sobon Estates "Fiddletown" ($14): Dried fruit on the nose, herbal and cedary. Not a lot of fruit on the palate. Dry finish that's a little hot. Skip it. JD (5/99)
'97 Shenandoah "Special Reserve": Raspberry and strawberry aromas, a little herbaceous. Sweet fruit on the palate in a medium body style. The wine dies a tragic death on the quick, dry finish. JD (5/99)
'97 Zoom "Paso Robles" ($22.50): 24 year old vines. Ripe raspberry fruit on the nose with a flinty edge. The alcohol is noticeable. The palate follows the nose with a black pepper note. A little hot on the finish. JD (4/99)
'97 Zoom "Contra Costa" ($22.50): 103 year old vines. Lighter and more candied on the nose than the "Paso Robles". More restrained but better balance. My palate tells me "this is nice" as I sip it. Same alcohol as the "Paso Robles" but it is not nearly as noticeable. Worth giving a try. JD (4/99)
'95 Ridge "Geyserville": Ridge is very polarizing with The Stupids. I happen to like Ridge quite a bit, even though the prices have risen right in line with the alcohol content. Stuart is much less forgiving. The Geyserville field blend (62% Zinfandel, 18% Petite Sirah, 15% Carignane and 5% Mataro) has to be my favorite of the group. Usually quite complex, due to the plethora of grape varieties, it is often the most interesting, even though it doesn't have those "pure zinfandel" flavors. The '95, to me, is the best since the superb '91, yet it is still a notch below. Plenty of berries (raspberry, black berry, black cherry, take your pick), with a blend of exotic spices, including some of the root variety. It's a medium-full bodied wine with some mild tannins still present. Mature and ready to drink, it should last for a few more years. I can't wait to taste the '97.JD (3/99)
'96 Scherrer "Sonoma Old and Mature Vines": From the former winemaker at Dehlinger (good sign!). The first whiff is promising, actually smelling or fruit rather than wood. The second impression identifies the fruit as brambly blackberry, not too raisined out. And there's no disappointment when it finally comes time to put this in the mouth- bright fruit entry, nice rich texture, a bit hot on the finish with a little woof of American oak. With some air, the tannins smooth out and the dusty olive Sonoma character peeps out. All in all, well-balanced and well-made. Drink it now. SY (3/99)  '95 St. Francis "Old Vines" ($20): I've got to admit it, I like the '95 vintage over the '94 vintage when it comes to zinfandel. The St. Francis pretty much typifies why. Plenty of berries and pepper on the nose. The palate is full of fruit but keeps from being overblown like so many of the '94s. Medium-full body with moderate tannins still present. I don't think this is a long ager but then again, I don't think most zins are. If you've got it, drink it over the next couple of years. The main flaw in the wine is the tannin/fruit ratio. It's not a big deal but if you hold it too long, the fruit may sacrifice itself to save the tannins. Watch out for sediment, I almost gagged on my last sip. JD (3/99) Retasted 10/01, and I think it's gone over the hill, pruny nd maderized- at least the one bottle I had. '96 Joseph Swan "Ziegler" ($20): Bright cherry/berry nose with a good dose of black pepper. Palate follows in a medium body style with moderate tannins. Short finish. It's an adequate but watch out for Swans short aging record. Don't hold it longer than a year or so, unless you like your wines dry and fruit free. JD (2/99) '97 Rosenblum "Carla's Vineyard" Zinfandel ($19): The fruit is from a vineyard in eastern Contra Costa County. Nice raspberry aromas with a touch of background spice. Good fruit in the mouth that comes across round and rich. Decent finish but it thins just a bit. Good juice. JD (2/99) '97 Lolonis "Lolonis Vineyard" Zinfandel ($14-18): This was a bottled barrel sample. Ripe, rich fruit on the nose and on the palate. Moderate tannins and low acid that's above the flabby stage. Damned good juice. I look forward to trying the product once it's on the market. JD (2/99) '97 "Z" Zinfandel ($18): Fruit, pepper, and new oak on the nose. Palate follows the nose with the oak being more noticeable. Medium-full body with a medium length finish. Quite drinkable now but should be better in a couple of years. JD (2/99) '96 Sierra Vista "Herbert Vineyard" Zinfandel ($15): The Herbert Vineyard sits on decomposed granite. The wine has good red fruit on the nose with a touch of briar and sage. The palate is full of sweet fruit, a touch of plums, with a thin frame of spice and oak in a medium bodied style. Moderate tannins and a decent finish. Weighing in at only 14.3% alcohol this is very nice juice.
'96 Sierra Vista "Reeves Vineyard" Zinfandel ($15): With vines growing in volcanic ash, in a slightly different area, the difference in terroir is quite noticeable. A dark wine with big, black fruit on the nose and plenty of spice. The palate follows with the addition of a modicum of smoky new oak. Moderate tannins. This is better than most of the other '96 zins we've had and 40-50% cheaper. Also at 14.3% alcohol.

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