I love Zins. In general, zins are pretty underrated, and this is not by accident. It is difficult to make a really good zin, because generally, zinfandel grapes tend to be lackluster, and one-diminsional. But once you find a really really good Zin, it blows away some of the best cabs, and *gasp* Pinots.On an aside, I'm not really a huge fan of Pinots. Everyone nouveau wine-tasting yuppie (yes, I include myself in that denigrating category) who has seen "sideways" thinks that Pinots are the way to go-- ironically, of course, while the Santa Barbara region produces some great Pinots, from what I understand, right now the best places to get Pinots are way further north, like in Walla Walla and in Oregon.
But regardless, over the weekend, I got a chance to try a really amazing Zinfandel. Helen Turley's 2004 Old Vine Zin. From what I've read and heard, Helen Turley is a phenomenal Zin producer, and when you throw in talented winemaker Ehren Jordan on the team, the product is simply magic.
Some people say that Zins tend to be "jammy" due to the relatively higher sugar levels in Zinfandel grapes. However, when tempered with other ingredients and oak, it tends to take on a more full bodied flavor, erroring on the side of berries, pepper and chocolate-- depending on the region. This particular zin was smooth, berry-forward and full bodied. It had a lovely finish and was not too dry. It was slightly oaky (I like that) and had light vanilla undertones.
Turley 2004 Zinfandel
Region: Paso Robles
Cost: Prices vary, $38-$50
Robert Parker Score: 92
Overall Rating Average: 91-93
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