Region: Paso Robles, CA
The nose of this lovely dessert wine is mainly black raspberry, but there's also a hint of licorice, making this a combo that my black-raspberry-gumdrop and black-licorice-loving father would have loved. If he drank. Which he didn't, really. Okay . . . back on track. The first flavor that comes to mind on sipping is mocha, followed by both the black raspberry and licorice. There are a lot of wonderful flavors in this port. It's dense and very, very good in my port-loving opinion. It would be perfect for any rich, chocolate dessert you could think of. Or, you know, to drink alone, because that's how I roll.
What can I say? It's been a good couple of weeks for zinfandel wines in my house.
4 stars
Other Bloggers' Thoughts:
I loved this wine and would probably buy it on a regular basis if it was not basically $20 per bottle since it is only a half bottle. This wine is totally smooth and reminds me of a late harvest zinfandel. The wine does have a very strong mocha flavor and a touch of sweetness. This wine has some nice legs to it and would pair excellent with dessert, however, I did not find that it needed to be paired with anything it was so good. I need to find a wine that tastes like this in a full bottle at about $15 dollars, because that would be my house red. I like a late harvest petite syrah, but honestly this wine gives it a run for its money. Hopefully, I will be able to find more wines similar to this in the future, a red wine with a touch of sweetness without the dry tannic afterbite that you find in a Cab or the peppery taste of a Syrah.
The Wineauxs on the 2003 vintage
Chocolate and cherry on the nose. Chocolate, cherry, and raspberry with plenty of dried fruit - raisin/prune, yet not much tannin. No depth or anything really interesting going on. After this has been open for a few days, some nuttiness is coming through, but it's really quite minor...honesty, it's not much further beyond a typical fruit bomb Zinfandel . . . lots of fruit, a touch of earthiness, and that's about it. The finish fades fairly quickly . . . some alcohol lingers as well as some raisin, but nothing exciting.
Well-suited to treats that contain rich chocolate, "the taste has such a depth of flavor. There's a cocoa entrance with a vanilla and berried finish," he says, adding that the nose is, "like rich, dark honey."
Reviewed 5.27.10.
