Wednesday, November 30, 2005

Wine Review: Rosenblum Annette's Reserve Rhodes Vineyard Zinfandel 2001 (NW)

Bright ruby color
Very big, fragrant nose of sweet, ripe fruit
Plum, cherry, and dark berries on the palate
Chocolate and a little zing on the long, smooth finish

Wow! Can a wine have more ripe fruit characteristics than this? Maybe it's too ripe. This is the discussion we had on Thanksgiving Day when PB (of this blog) and I tasted the wine. We popped the cork on several other bottles, including the Beaulieu Tapestry discussed below. Compared to that wine, this tasted like fruit cocktail. We kept remarking on how big and ripe the flavors are, and that it really doesn't drink well with food because of that. On its own, though, it was very enjoyable with a super smooth texture and a nice, long finish.

PB provided this bottle from his cellar and he had paid around $25 for it while in California. It's on the expensive end for Zinfandel, but if you're a fan of dark, ripe, and luscious Zin you know these are really bargain prices. Zinfandel doesn't get very expensive, even with the single vineyard bottles from producers like Rosenblum that get big scores on the various 100-point scales. As a result, it really is a bargain wine. Just make sure you're in the mood for ripe (even over-ripe) fruit and a high alcohol content. On Thanksgiving Day, I was. And oh-by-the-way, there's no grape more American than Zinfandel- perfect for an American holiday! Raise a glass!

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