Navarro Vineyards
Navarrouge Mendocino Zinfandel Pinot Noir
Mendocino, North Coast, California, USA
Return to the 2020 vintage, blackberries and black olives
Return to the 2020 vintage, blackberries and black olives
Apr 24th, 2023New vintage, 13.5% alc/vol. Purple red, very good clarity, medium pigment extraction. Overall a nice medium bodied table red. Some black peppery seed tannins on finish. Bright acidity but plenty of red and black fruit flavors. Some butter and indefinite cherry-berry aromas on initial pour. Tannins resolve after 30 minutes and varietal flavors expressed: blackberry, cherry mostly, maybe some strawberry, black currant and black olive in there. The winery diverted much of their best grapes here due to fears of smoke taint - forest fires. 68/20/7/5 blend of Pinot Noir, Syrah, Zinfandel and some 2019 “other varietals”. Great value, if bad news for the winery. 2263 cases made. And not a hint of any smoke in it…
New vintage, 13.5% alc/vol. Purple red, very good clarity, medium pigment extraction. Overall a nice medium bodied table red. Some black peppery seed tannins on finish. Bright acidity but plenty of red and black fruit flavors. Some butter and indefinite cherry-berry aromas on initial pour. Tannins resolve after 30 minutes and varietal flavors expressed: blackberry, cherry mostly, maybe some strawberry, black currant and black olive in there. The winery diverted much of their best grapes here due to fears of smoke taint - forest fires. 68/20/7/5 blend of Pinot Noir, Syrah, Zinfandel and some 2019 “other varietals”. Great value, if bad news for the winery. 2263 cases made. And not a hint of any smoke in it…
Nov 22nd, 2022Dense purple, moderately extracted pigment. Raspberry, blackberry, strawberry jam, green and black olive notes in nose. Raspberry, blackberry and tart cherry flavors, green olive, cool mint and dusty herbal notes, a touch of tar, bright acidity, light rounded seed tannins in finish initially. A lot of yummy flavors here, a greatest hits collection of traditional Cali red wines. Lovely complexity here
Dense purple, moderately extracted pigment. Raspberry, blackberry, strawberry jam, green and black olive notes in nose. Raspberry, blackberry and tart cherry flavors, green olive, cool mint and dusty herbal notes, a touch of tar, bright acidity, light rounded seed tannins in finish initially. A lot of yummy flavors here, a greatest hits collection of traditional Cali red wines. Lovely complexity here
Jun 28th, 2019Last bottle. Soft, well integrated, lots of cool, red fruit flavors, stilll drinking well
Last bottle. Soft, well integrated, lots of cool, red fruit flavors, stilll drinking well
Oct 28th, 2018Four varieties- Zinfandel, Barbera, Grenache and Carignane; no Pinot noir this vintage. Purple red, dense but not inky. Butter, cherry and barrel notes in nose with hints of menthol and barnyard funk. Butter, cherry flavor with length; raspberry, blueberry (and later plum) finish, slightly soapy mouthfeel, almost but not quite hot, citric aftertaste. Good acid, minimal bitterness but lots of tannin sediment (unfiltered). Moderate skin astringency. Needs time to open. Definitely a food wine. Like the old school immigrant-family rustic reds one used to get decades ago in NorCal, but better made, with finesse. And it's got soul, so get your nostalgia on
Four varieties- Zinfandel, Barbera, Grenache and Carignane; no Pinot noir this vintage. Purple red, dense but not inky. Butter, cherry and barrel notes in nose with hints of menthol and barnyard funk. Butter, cherry flavor with length; raspberry, blueberry (and later plum) finish, slightly soapy mouthfeel, almost but not quite hot, citric aftertaste. Good acid, minimal bitterness but lots of tannin sediment (unfiltered). Moderate skin astringency. Needs time to open. Definitely a food wine. Like the old school immigrant-family rustic reds one used to get decades ago in NorCal, but better made, with finesse. And it's got soul, so get your nostalgia on
Mar 5th, 2018
Nice 'everyday' wine. Paired well with mushroom risotto.
Nice 'everyday' wine. Paired well with mushroom risotto.
Mar 26th, 2017
Carbonic maceration? This is all confected tutti frutti. Not my thing.
Carbonic maceration? This is all confected tutti frutti. Not my thing.
Apr 30th, 2015Tasty table wine for the price. Fairly tart though... Tastes better with food
Tasty table wine for the price. Fairly tart though... Tastes better with food
Jun 6th, 2013
Very drinkable red blend at a great price point! Let it breathe! The winery is top shelf and the white wines are lovely!
Very drinkable red blend at a great price point! Let it breathe! The winery is top shelf and the white wines are lovely!
May 13th, 2020