2009 Folie a Deux Menage a Trois California Red

The menage a trois referenced here is the coupling of three grapes, Zinfandel, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The actual blend is 46% Zin, 31% Merlot and 23% Cab, the grapes are sourced from vineyards all across California, basically wherever they can get the best grapes for the least amount of money. The wine is aged in French and American oak. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are 2 grapes that dominate most Bordeaux red wines and adding in some Zinfandel is a California twist on the Bordeaux blends. The alcohol level is 13.5%.

A deep dark, clear raspberry jello red. The nose does not give up much, a bit of strawberry, a touch of chocolate and not much else. Nicely fruit forward, soft round black and blueberry flavors, cocoa powder, raspberry and then you can sense the tannins in the mid-palate. The tannins are light, but give the Menage a Trois enough structure and body to hold the fruit together. There is a nice raspberry jam finish.

A good starter red wine for people who don’t know if they like red wine. Nice flavor, soft and approachable, but there is enough going on to please experienced red wine drinkers.

Marietta Old Vines Red Lot Number 52

A non vintage red blend sourced from Sonoma and Mendonco Counties in California. The main grape in the blend is Zinfandel, but three times a year a new version of the blend is released, Lot Number 52 is the summer blend. Marietta Cellars is a family owned Winery located in Geyserville in Sonoma. The alcohol content is 13.5%.

The color is dark, inky, black cherry red. The nose is blackberry, cherry and a touch of vanilla. A nice lush mouthfeel, very silky. Good ripe fruit upfront, plum, blueberry, raspberry and then a sharp hit if spice, with each sip, the spice smoothes out. A big strong blueberry finish.

Oh wow,this is the comfort food equivalent in wine. Simple yummy goodness in spades. Luscious ripe fruit, it actually feels good in your mouth. I want to try this with Mom’s Pot Roast. The Marietta Old Vines Red is the kind of wine you want to give to friends, there is no higher praise than that.

Here is a link to the distributors, if you need to see where you can purchase this wine in your area: http://www.mariettacellars.com/distributors/

2007 4 Vines Old Vine Cuvee California Zinfandel

In a word: Cankles. The soft, rich, smooth red color spreads over your tongue like dimples on cellulite. Dark and warm with a hint of sparkle. She beckons. Feels like home fries. Behind the glass, her legs are so long. It’s rich without being pretentious. She’s picked blackberries in the hot sun and nuzzled under an oak tree. Her story is yet to be told and landing pad still unknown. Ambitious but knows her place. This Zin feels like a marabou negligee without the feathers. Good thing too, they would only go to my head later. Just wrap those cankles around my neck and….escape. For at least a glass or two.

2007 Temptation Zinfandel

Sourced from the Alexander Valley and Dry Creek Valley in Sonoma, along with a bit from Solano (east of Napa), California. 91% Zinfandel, 8% Sangiovese and 1% Syrah. Aged for 12 months in American oak, 25% new oak. Alcohol content is 14.2%.

A deep dark, but see-thru red. Black and blueberry, stewed prune and a light curry spice on the nose. Tart black cherry upfront, then some softer flavors such as plum and blueberry. Altoids spice with vanilla kick in the mid-palate. The finish is blackberry and spice, but fades quickly.

The label has a skeleton offering wine to some 15th century plaque victim and any wine with skeletons on the label automatically get extra points. It tastes real good, so that adds points, it does not cost much, so that adds points, the Temptation Zin would pair very well with BBQ, so that adds points. Doing math when you are drinking wine is not recommended, so we will never know how many points the Temptation Zinfandel gets. But, to sum things up, it tastes great, is reasonably priced and has skeletons, two thumbs up.

2008 Sobon Estate Amador County Old Vines Zinfandel $12

Sobon Estate Wines is a family run, sustainably farmed Winery located in Amador County (45 miles east of Sacramento), California. 97% Zinfandel and 3% Petite Sirah sourced from several of Sobon Estates old vine vineyards. Aged in used French and American oak barrels, the Winemaker says that the Old Vines Zin should improve in the bottle for the next four years. Alcohol content is 14.9%.

The color is black cherry red, just like a Zinfandel should look.The nose is dark red fruit, cedar, a whiff of vanilla and potting soil. Fresh cherries upfront, Snicker’s Bar chocolate (just the chocolate), strawberry, blueberry and a light wave of cinnamon spice. The chocolate and the cherry continue to the finish, tasty and it lasts awhile. The tannins are hidden under the fruit, you can sense they are there, but no bite, just smooth, sweet tannins.

A good tasting, very approachable, every day Zinfandel. Drink it with everyday meals, cook-outs, pizza, any hearty meal you enjoy.

2009 Tres Pinos Three Pines Cuvee $5

A Trader Joe’s Exclusive made by San Antonio Winery, they have been in business 91 years and are the last remaining winery in Los Angles. This is a blend of Syrah, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, the grapes were grown in San Luis Obispo County, California (Paso Robles and the Central Coast growing areas). Like most Trader Joe’s wine there is virtually no information available on the Three Pines Cuvee, and San Antonio Winery does not list the wine on their website. I guess at five bucks a bottle there is no money left over for information or advertising.

A few years back, $10 was the cut off for good and bad wines, there was no telling what you were going to get. Now, $10 wines are almost always at least drinkable and often excellent values. Five dollars is the new cut off point and $5 wines are an adventure.

The color is dark but see thru cherry red. The nose is fairly simple, some red fruit, a little new mowed grass. The flavors are soft red fruit, some strawberry, plum, tart cherry, Nestle’s Quick Chocolate Milk powder, some green, unripe flavors pop up in the background. The mouth feel is slightly watery  and you can feel the bite of the tannins in the back of your palate. The cherry juice finish fades a bit too quickly, the tannins linger longer that the fruit flavors.

This is light years better than the cheap wine of my college days. If you are sitting around playing Madden Football on the Xbox with friends, the Tres Pinos should be considered as the beverage of choice. I don’t want to be be too hard on a $5 wine, I know how hard it is to make wine at that price, it’s just that there are so many good inexpensive wines on the market today, we are in the middle of cheap wines’ Glory Days.

2007 Clayhouse Vineyard Adobe Red

A red wine blend sourced from California’s Central Coast, Clayhouse Vineyards says that much of the fruit came from their Estate Vineyard in Paso Robles. The grapes used in the blend are 41% Zinfandel, 32% Petite Sirah, 16% Syrah, 5% Malbec, 4% Grenache and 2% Mourvedre. 15% of the wine has been aged in neutral oak barrels for 14 months. Alcohol content is 14.1%.

See thru burgundy red with a salmon pink halo. The nose is reminiscent of a fruit stand, plums, cherries , raspberries with a touch of vanilla infused oak. Tart cherry juice hit first, then a softer plums and strawberry. Tannins can be felt all over your mouth, but in a good way, it gives the wine a nice strong character. The Adobe Red smooths out at the mid-palate, tart cherry and the tannins fade away and a fresh juicy berry flavor takes over. The finish is mixed berries and vanilla, you will be tasting it 5 minutes after you put the glass down.

The Clayhouse Adobe Red is a well constructed, big, bold, good tasting wine. A rough and ready Red that also has a well mannered side. BBQ Ribs or Steak Fajitas would pair very well.

2008 R.C.T.J.W.F Paso Robles Zinfandel $6

The name stands for Really Cool Trader Joe’s Wine Find. Another Trader Joe’s wine with no information available about who grew the grapes or how the wine was made, but if your going to make a Zinfandel, sourcing grapes from Paso Robles is a good place to start. Alcohol content is 13.8, kind of subdued for a Zin.

Liquid strawberry jelly red. The nose is strawberry Twizzlers, blueberry and a touch of carmel. Loads of candied red fruit, cherry, strawberry and some spearmint.  The flavor is not fresh fruit, the cherry is more maraschino cherry than black cherry and the strawberry is more strawberry fruit roll-up. The Zin spice and pepper is mildly evident in the mid palate. A good, long lasting berry finish.

Not a food wine unless your pairing this with Doritos. Would work well as a party wine, the candied flavors would help the R.C.T.J.W.F. go down easy.

2006 Ten Mile “The Broken Road” Red Blend $10

This wine is an interesting blend of Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, Barbera and Carignane. Sourced from several old vine vineyards in California and aged 14 months in French and American oak. Alcohol is a reasonable 14.1%.

When first tasting this wine there is a beautiful floral note with a slight hint of cherries.
The flavor is refreshingly light but still full flavored with the taste of cherry, plum and blackberries. The Carignane gives the wine an earthy grassy finish.

This wine would be great with lamb or steak with an herbal rub.

2008 Glory Days Zinfandel $10

The Van Ruiten’s have been growing grapes in Lodi, California for over 50 years, but have been making their own wines since only 2000. The Glory Days Zin is 87% Zinfandel, 6% Petite Sirah, 5% Carignan (99 year old vines) and 2% Tannat.  Lodi is ground zero for the Zinfandel grape.

The color is blood plasma red, dark and rich. The nose is sweet cinnamon spice, red raspberry jam, clove and pepper. Jammy or jelly, you pick, rich fruit upfront, very tasty raspberry, blackberry, sweet cherry and then a dose of softer Altoids spice. Sweet tannins, then a nice, lip smackingly good blueberry finish. A rich, deep, balanced Zinfandel.

Like all good Zin’s, the Glory Days Zinfandel is custom made for the backyard BBQ. Throw some meat on the Weber Grill, pull the cork on the Glory Days Zin and all is right with the world, if only for an hour or two.

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