Cheers! It’s my favorite day of the month, Wine Blogging Wednesday! For those who are unfamiliar, Wine Blogging Wednesday is a monthly event when wine bloggers from around the globe all write about a common topic. And it’s not just another Wine Blogging Wednesday, it’s the 4th anniversary of this monthly event and as such the founder of the event, Lenn Thompson from Lenndevours is hosting. The topic he selected for today is “Back to Your Roots,” an opportunity to revisit a wine from early in our wine consuming days.
I reflected for a while about the wines I bought in my early years. Quite frankly, I can’t remember many of them. I recall drinking lots wines from Bolla, some from Barton & Guestier, and I’m sure there were many 1.5 liter bottles of pure swill in my early wine days. But there is one wine that I recall with affection, Rodney Strong Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon.
It was about 12 years ago that I first discovered Rodney Strong wines. I would guess it was the 1994 or 1995 vintage of Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon, which was an era of growth for Rodney Strong under the then relatively new owner Tom Klein.
At the time I was on a rather limited budget—I worked in television back then, which is probably the lowest paying profession any college graduate can pursue. I was only buying the cheapest of cheap wine in those days, but a friend of mine found a case of Rodney Strong Cabernet Sauvignon in his father’s basement and we pilfered it. Actually, the dad was out of town for several months—so we had plenty of time to work our way through this case of wine.
It was fantastic. I recall how significantly more enjoyable it was than my typical wine purchases of the day. Then when I looked for it in wine shops I was surprised to find it reasonably priced at under $10. It was still more than I wanted to spend back then (I was really poor), but it planted the seed that eventually bloomed into this website.
Every now and then over the years I’ve picked up a bottle of Rodney Strong to reflect on that early discovery. Some vintages have been disappointing and it gradually crept up in price over the years, which has resulted in its removal from my regular purchase list. But I still have an affinity for it and I plan to visit the winery this Fall.
2005 Rodney Strong Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon
And so, I once again revisit the Rodney Strong Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon with the 2005 vintage. The nose is a delightful bouquet of vanilla, cedar, plum and blackberry. The palate is bold and earthy, with lots oak. There is certainly some black cherry flavor, but the fruit is somewhat restrained on the palate. The finish is spicy and tannic, leaving a nice mouth feel. It’s a solid Cabernet and it’s enjoyable, but also rather simple and predictable.
Wine: Rodney Strong Sonoma County
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2005
Alcohol: 13.8%
Rating: 85
Price Paid: $14.97
A few weeks ago I wrote about a couple examples of Picpoul de Pinet, one of my favorite white wine varietals. It’s one of those varietals where you’re most likely only going to find one or two options at your local wine shop, versus the 80+ options you’ll have for Chardonnay.
Given that I don’t come across Picpoul de Pinet from a large number of producers it doesn’t make sense for me to do a full series here on Cheap Wine Ratings. But I recently tried a new one and I decided to do another quick review. I won’t regurgitate all the background info on Picpoul, you can check out the previous post for that.
The Ormarine Picpoul de Pinet is produced by Cave De L’Ormarine and imported by Grape Expectations. Overall, it is quite good but didn’t impress me as much as some other Picpouls I have tasted.
The color is an extremely light straw. The nose is rather tight, but once it does open up it delivers a bouquet of peach and pear with a soft lime undercurrent. The palate brings loads of pear flavor, a lemon acidity and a hint of mineral. The mineral aspect is much more subtle than I’ve found in other bottles of Picpoul de Pinet.
It’s very light and refreshing and a great value. I found this one for a very reasonable $7.99!
Wine: Ormarine
Varietal: Picpoul de Pinet
Vintage: 2006
Alcohol: 12.5%
Rating: 86
Price Paid: $7.99
The series on California Zinfandel is complete—finally—and here is the summary of 25 Zinfandels under $20. Zinfandel tends to be a love it or hate it variety, and those that love it find themselves paying more and more for it lately. Yes, the better Zinfandels are ticking upward with their prices. So, we thought it would be good to find where the values can still be found.
Top Zin – Edmeades Mendocino County
With outstanding complexity, texture and a memorable finish, the top honors goes to the 2006 Edmeades Mendocino County Zinfandel. But it comes with a hefty price tag for cheap wine aficionados — $18.99 where we bought it. This is the most expensive bottle in our list. It’s also has one of the highest alcohol levels we encountered (15.5%), a characteristic consistent with many of the better Zinfandels in our opinion. Our rating came to a 92 on this one and it is highly recommended, if you’re willing to spend that much.
Other Recommendations
The only other wine we tried to earn a 90 was the 2005 Cardinal Zin. It’s a few dollars cheaper than the Edmeades, but it will still run you $15.99. It comes with a fabulous, albeit controversial, label designed by Ralph Steadman. This wine has a pronounced intensity on the nose with interesting complexity. The palate brings an equal amount of complexity with abundant ripe fruit, mineral, leather and pepper. This is another highly recommended wine.
One of the really pleasing parts of this series is that we found a number of decent Zinfandels. Here are the picks that rated between 86-89:
Bargain Basement Zinfandel
If you’re really budget-conscious and are looking for the absolute best deal, then go with the 2005 Twisted Zin. The nose on the Twisted Zin is cherry cola, raspberry and herbs. It’s not really elegant, but it’s fun and enjoyable. The palate is full of jammy red fruit and a touch of black pepper.
The Full List
Here is the full list of the 25 Zinfandels under $20 we tried for this series.
|
Brand
|
Year
|
Rating
|
Price
|
| Edmeades Mendocino County |
2006
|
92
|
$18.99
|
| Cardinal Zin |
2005
|
90
|
$15.99
|
| Charles Underwood Farleigh |
2005
|
89
|
$13.99
|
| Parducci Mendocino Valley Zinfandel |
2005
|
88
|
$9.99
|
| Belvedere Healdsburg Ranches |
2001
|
88
|
$14.98
|
| Bogle Old Vine Zinfandel |
2005
|
87
|
$9.97
|
| 7 Deadly Zins |
2005
|
87
|
$14.99
|
| Oak Ridge Old Zin Vines |
2005
|
87
|
$15.99
|
| Rancho Zabaco Sonoma Heritage Vines Zinfandel |
2005
|
86
|
$11.99
|
| Rosenblum Cellars Vintner’s Cuvée xxx |
XXX
|
86
|
$11.99
|
| Pepperwood Grove |
2005
|
85
|
$6.49
|
| Twisted Zin |
2005
|
85
|
$6.99
|
| Rabbit Ridge Central Coast |
2005
|
85
|
$10.99
|
| Renwood |
2005
|
85
|
$11.99
|
| Cline Ancient Vine Zinfandel |
2006
|
85
|
$14.99
|
| Sin Zin |
2005
|
85
|
$16.99
|
| Rancho Zabaco Dancing Bull |
2005
|
84
|
$8.99
|
| Hayman & Hill Dry Creek Valley Reserve Selection |
2003
|
84
|
$12.99
|
| Francis Coppola Diamond Collection Red Label Zinfandel |
2004
|
84
|
$13.99
|
| Cellar No 8 |
2005
|
82
|
$9.99
|
| Temptation |
2005
|
81
|
$12.99
|
| Mandolin |
2003
|
81
|
$13.99
|
| Fetzer Valley Oaks |
2004
|
80
|
$6.99
|
| Old Moon Zinfandel |
2006
|
79
|
$7.99
|
| Cline California Zinfandel |
2006
|
78
|
$8.99
|
This is a wine that I hadn’t even heard of until I saw it on the shelf and I picked it up on a pure whim, but I’m glad I did. While I hadn’t heard of this wine, I did have some confidence in giving it a try because of the distributor, Hand Picked Selections. Their focus is on affordably-priced wines with above average quality and they do a pretty good job at that.
This 2005 Farleigh Zinfandel offers a little more regional diversity than we’ve found in many of the California Zins that we’ve tasted. Rather than a single-vineyard wine, the grapes in this one come 50% from Sonoma County and 50% from San Luis Obispo County.
The appearance is a brilliant, bright red with light opacity. It’s appealing in the glass, which I know is a little thing but everything counts when you’re adding up the overall experience of consuming a particular wine. More important than the visual, the aroma is fabulous. It has a lot of heat— not surprising with a whopping 15.9% alcohol level. Cherry, leather, cedar and herbal notes blend with the alcohol heat to make a delightful bouquet.
The palate is really interesting too. It starts with a peppery blackberry then a super-fresh strawberry flavor explodes on the tip of your tongue before quickly fading and leaving an acidic tingling feeling. There is a tartness to the finish. In fact, I might describe this wine as a SweetTart experience. It’s fun, interesting and enjoyable.
The score came out to an 89 and at $14 it is definitely worth a try.
Wine: Charles Underwood Farleigh
Varietal: Zinfandel
Vintage: 2005
Alcohol: 15.9%
Rating: 89
Price Paid: $13.99
Mandolin is a small California winery run by Philip Zorn and Matt Shortbridge. It appears that they are no longer producing Zinfandel, but you may still come across this 2003 Lodi Zinfandel from them, as I did.
There’s a nice intensity on the nose of this Zin. It has a bit of cedar, plum, cherry and oddly enough a little banana in the bouquet. The palate is less complex and has mostly plum flavors, plus some cherry and chocolate. It’s not nearly as jammy as a lot of Lodi Zinfandels. There is a hint of pepper on the finish, but there’s not much spice in this one.
Overall, it’s an OK wine with no real flaws but it lacks complexity. It’s also not very characteristic of what you would expect from a Lodi Zinfandel.
Wine: Mandolin Old Vines Zinfandel
Varietal: Zinfandel
Vintage: 2003
Alcohol: 14.5%
Rating: 81
Price Paid: $13.99
Find Mandolin Old Vines Zinfandel with Snooth
At $19, this is one of the more expensive Zinfandels I’ve reviewed in this series—but it’s also one of the best. I am often critical of more expensive wines, as they are frequently no better than other wines at half the price. In this case, if you’re willing to splurge a few extra bucks (over the typical $8-12 wines you know you love to buy) I think you’ll get your money’s worth.
Edmeades is known for their Zinfandel. In fact, I think it’s the only variety they produce. They were the first grower to plant vineyards in Alexander Valley in 1963. In 1988, Jess Jackson purchased Edmeades and began updating the winery and replanting vineyards. Winemaker Van Williamson joined Edmeades in 1994 and since then the winery has released dozens of highly rated, award winning Zinfandels.
2006 Edmeades Mendocino County Zinfandel
A beautifully herbal nose introduces this zinfandel. Floral, mint and cedar overlay rich raspberry aromas. The palate is absolutely delicious and creamy. Black cherry, vanilla, raspberry and chocolate make the palate delightful. There is a bit of pepper, but it isn’t overly spicy. The tannins are silky smooth and the finish is long and memorable.
Simply put, this is an outstanding bottle of wine. Although it’s not the most inexpensive Zinfandel you will find, it is still a great value.
Wine: Edmeades Mendocino County Zinfandel
Varietal: Zinfandel
Vintage: 2006
Alcohol: 15.5%
Rating: 92
Price Paid: $18.99
Find Edmeades Mendocino County Zinfandel with Snooth
The Hayman & Hill brand comes from Cellar Door/Pacific Wine Partners, who manage a number of different wine brands. Cheap wine aficionados are probably familiar with their Red Guitar brand, known for tasty and affordable Spanish wine.
Hayman & Hill is focused on single varietal, appellation designated, Californian wines produced by David Hayman and Dennis Hill.
2003 Dry Creek Valley Reserve Selection Zinfandel
This is a very typical California Zinfandel. It shows cedar, blackberry, cherry and spice on the nose, which has a fairly good intensity. The palate is fairly jammy with blackberry and plum fruit. There is some spice… it’s mild, but noticeable. There is also some coffee flavor late in the finish, after the fruit has faded from the palate.
It’s a decent and enjoyable wine for $12.99, but it’s not a memorable experience.
Wine: Hayman & Hill Dry Creek Valley Reserve Selection
Variety: Zinfandel
Vintage: 2003
Alcohol: 14.3%
Rating: 84
Price Paid: $12.99
Find Hayman & Hill Zinfandel with Snooth
The Hayman & Hill brand comes from Cellar Door/Pacific Wine Partners, who manage a number of different wine brands. Cheap wine aficionados are probably familiar with their Red Guitar brand, known for tasty and affordable Spanish wine.
Hayman & Hill is focused on single varietal, appellation designated, Californian wines produced by David Hayman and Dennis Hill.
2003 Dry Creek Valley Reserve Selection Zinfandel
This is a very typical California Zinfandel. It shows cedar, blackberry, cherry and spice on the nose, which has a fairly good intensity. The palate is fairly jammy with blackberry and plum fruit. There is some spice… it’s mild, but noticeable. There is also some coffee flavor late in the finish, after the fruit has faded from the palate.
It’s a decent and enjoyable wine for $12.99, but it’s not a memorable experience.
Wine: Hayman & Hill Dry Creek Valley Reserve Selection
Varietal: Zinfandel
Vintage: 2003
Alcohol: 14.3%
Rating: 84
Price Paid: $12.99
Find Hayman & Hill Zinfandel with Snooth
Lodi Zin, sexy Lodi Zin. Tall, dark, strong, sleek, bold, full, dangerous, striking, intense. Razor sharp, yet soft as feathers. Arresting, dazzling, raging, exhilarating.
Old Zin Vines is produced by Oak Ridge Winery, the oldest operating winery in Lodi, founded in 1934. The winery was originally operated as a cooperative of local growers. Then in 2001 the winery was purchased and renovated by Rudy Maggio and his partners, Don and Rocky Reynolds.
One of the particularly interesting things about this winery is the tasting room, which resides inside a 50,000 gallon redwood tank. If you’ve ever wanted to drink from inside a barrel, this is your chance.
Old Zin Vines 2005
I love the design of this bottle. It’s very bold, just like the wine inside it. It pours to reveal a luscious purplish red color. Cedar, cherry, blackberry jam, cola and herbs waft from the nose. The palate is big… big blackberry jam, cherry, plum and spice—a fun and intense spice. There is a bit of coffee and chocolate, lending a soft, smooth characteristic to the experience. The finish is long and spicy.
It’s a good zinfandel, but it’s in the upper end of our price range and we’ve found other Zins that are just as good for a bit less.
Wine: Oak Ridge Winery – Old Zin Vines
Varietal: Zinfandel
Vintage: 2005
Alcohol: 13.95%
Rating: 87
Price Paid: $15.99
Bogle Vineyardsis a family run winery with over 1,200 acres in the Sacramento Delta region in Clarksburg, California. They are a big enough producer that I find their wines in nearly every wine shop I visit. And in my experience their wines tend to be consistently good for the price. The first Bogle wine I ever tried was their Petite Sirah and that was such a great value that I always look forward to trying more wines from them.
The Old Vine Zinfandel was another good experience from Bogle. While I’ve had some better Zinfandels at higher price points the quality of this wine is very good for the price—just $10!
The nose had a strong cedar aroma, like opening a cedar chest. There was also a bit of blackberry and plum on the nose. The mouth feel is very full and satisfying. The palate has big blackberry and plum flavors. It’s a bit jammy, but not too much so. A little walnut is also in there and there’s some mid-palate chocolate. A super spicy finish that makes this quite enjoyable.
Wine: Bogle Old Vines Zinfandel
Varietal: Zinfandel
Vintage: 2005
Alcohol: 14.5%
Rating: 87
Price Paid: $9.97
Find Bogle Old Vine Zinfandel with Snooth
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