January 9th, 2010
While I’m not normally a fan of Zinfandel, the decription of this wine really took me in. Descibed as having “tantalizing black raspberry flavors with a nice balance of spice and jam,” it sounded like the perfect wine to have with some spicy, southern barbeque.
The bouquet is pleasant. There is an initial impression of sharp, mixed berry preserves. There was very little spice about it, but I was definitely reminded of tart raspberries and blackberries.
The initial taste was completely different. Pure acidity overpowered the very light body of this wine leaving very little room at the end for the flavors. Food seemed to soften the blow, with a loaded baked potato counteracting most of the acidity; however, the spiced sauce of the barbeque chicken did much to reignite it. After dinner was over – and more of the wine was consumed – the subtle flavors of the berries began to show, though still exceedingly tart.
Overall, I did not find this wine remotely worth the $8/glass and $31/bottle.
