Wonderful deep dark red in the glass. The nose has a nice combination of cranberry, dark cherry, raisin and a hint of tar. Traditional jammy Zin flavors of dark berries with vanilla, cedar, plum and mild spices. There is a mysterious Bordeaux wine aroma when first opened, which wasn't distracting at all. This wine finishes dry and delicately spicy. Drink this now without any regrets or age it a few years for a more mellow flavor. This is not an overly sweet or pumped up spicy Zinfandel. It is a very classy and beautifully made wine that the person who has sworn off of Zin would really enjoy. And so did I.
Truchard Vineyards produces the only Zinfandel from Napa Carneros fruit. This wine is a great buy at $25 US per bottle.
Score: 92
www.truchardvineyards.com
What's a better way to start off a month than with a great bargain bottle of wine from our Winery of the Month? The d'Arenberg 2008 The Hermit Crab is a lovely bouquet of flowers, pear and peach. Surprisingly fuller bodied wine with tastes of pear, lightly spiced ginger, toasted nuts and a hint of apricot. Soft micro tannins provide a very pleasant and long savory finish. Drink before 2012 for the best enjoyment, but don't kick yourself if you're drinking it next year sometime. It will still be great and you can find it for around $13 US.
Score: 89
www.darenberg.com.au
You can get a great discount on d'Arenberg wines at www.oldbridgecellars.com when you enter the discount code MIDWESTWINEGUY at checkout!
This was my "Open That Bottle Night" last evening. It wasn't going to be my first choice, but the more I thought about it, the more it made perfect sense to me. The Petit Verdot grape is generally used to blend other wines, but when someone creates a solo Petit Verdot, it sparks my interest. I love Petit Verdot and this 2005 Bourassa effort is wonderful.
Deep dark purple in the glass and full of floral aromas and moderately spicy blackberry. Still very young, this wine is just starting to develop into a more mature drinker, with hints of pencil lead and tanned leather just starting to creep in. The flavors are fresh blackberry, violet, some light cedar and cigar box. This is not an "in your face" wine like so many Petit Verdot can be. The tannins are actually very well structured and provide a long, lingering finish. Bravo for a stand alone Petit Verdot that is enjoyable and approachable so young. Easily drinkable for 10 years.
Score: 92
www.bourassavineyards.com
