My first wine from this Zin specialist. It’s one of their basic cuvées. This ‘16 is drinking very well right now, but I wouldn’t wait any longer. Nose is open and ripe. Definite Zin signature: blackberry, spice, note of maple syrup, teensy bit of gravel. Mouthfilling and fruity, spreading out expansively in the mouth. But it’s nicely restrained, without jamminess or heat. A bit of soft tannin. Not simple, but not complex either. Nicely composed.
UPDATE (night 2): I’m upping from a 9.1 to a 9.2 because rather than degrading over the course of 24 hours, the flavors have stayed fresh but a little structure has popped up to frame the flavors and tighten up the texture a little, and the wine is the better for it. And that also signals that this should keep nicely another 2-3 years.
My first wine from this Zin specialist. It’s one of their basic cuvées. This ‘16 is drinking very well right now, but I wouldn’t wait any longer. Nose is open and ripe. Definite Zin signature: blackberry, spice, note of maple syrup, teensy bit of gravel. Mouthfilling and fruity, spreading out expansively in the mouth. But it’s nicely restrained, without jamminess or heat. A bit of soft tannin. Not simple, but not complex either. Nicely composed.
UPDATE (night 2): I’m upping from a 9.1 to a 9.2 because rather than degrading over the course of 24 hours, the flavors have stayed fresh but a little structure has popped up to frame the flavors and tighten up the texture a little, and the wine is the better for it. And that also signals that this should keep nicely another 2-3 years.
Dec 10th, 2020
Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA
