I am so peaceful and mellow right now after spending time with my family and a great bottle of wine. Unlike paintings and other forms of fine art, wine is created to be consumed/destroyed. Through the process of destruction/consumption/digestion it, like world-class cuisine, (often paired with class-A wine) is meant to be disassembled down to it's bare elements. Tonight's vino is no exception as I'm feeling good while looking at an empty bottle.
Windsor Vinyards has managed to produce fine wine since 1959 and was originally created by the legendary Rodney Strong. The quasi-indiginous Zinfandel grape has been cultivated into wonderful red wine in America for years now and W.V. has kept up with and led standards in terms of quality balance and value.
2001 Mendocino County Zinfandel
Price- It varies as this is a wine that is very very hard to find and usually reserved for the 'bottled for business' variety. I happened to stumble upon 3 bottles that were sitting in my country club's inventory for too long, and so the once $40.00/ bottle price tag was reduced to wholesale for the sake of getting rid of inventory. My 18.00/ Bottle X 3 was well spent.
Sight- Dark, ruby red when looking through light. Good clarity with no sedimentation.
Nose- I noted that of cherries, roses, a slight astringent scent of prominent tannins and the smell of alcohol (please note that this variety is 16.5% EtOH by Vol.
Taste- Upon first swill, I agreed with my nose in that I sensed cherries and roses. I allowed the wine to breathe for 30 minutes to smooth and round out the alcohol's power ( 1-2 hrs would probably maximize this process). The result was a medium to high acidity wine with a balanced structure and feel. The wine presents with a smooth and long finish and hints of plum, nuts and fig.
Rating- I give this a 6.5/10 in that it could be balanced a little better in the fruit to EtOH(alcohol) ratio. Overall, I would drink this daily and fall asleep with a grin on my face.
Recommendations- LET THIS OL' DOG BREATHE! I think that a decanter or an aerator like the Vinturi is in order to grasp the flavor waiting to be unleashed. Don't let the alcohol drown the character that is hiding behind the nasty organic chemical beast!
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment