Older Zinfandel ?

[Andre]

Older Zinfandels

With the little experience I have with older Zinfandel wines I went through some and a couple stood out:

Zinfandel Kenwood 1993

Dark deep red towards brick at the rim

A beautiful nose of plum syrup, smoked meat, leather and sweet tobacco.

Very well balanced in the mouth with a smooth development of the molasses towards a mildly spiced finish.

Enjoy now.

Zinfandel, Tres Condados, Vigil, California 1997.

What a pleasant surprise!

A rather light Bordeaux color with some depth apparent.

A beautiful well balanced nose with red sweet cherry liquor, liquorices and spice.

In the mouth the wine is smooth elegant and well integated moving from the ripe cherry flavors to a perfectly balanced spicy finish.

Enjoy now – 2006.

Ravenswood was somehow a disapointment or my expectations were too high.

Will be glad to read comments and experience

[Brad S]

Andre,

Here are some tasting notes on older Ridge Zins.

http://www.sbwines.com/trh/February3_1999.html

[docsconz]

Here are eG Tasting Notes within the past year on older zins:

1994 Ridge Pagani Ranch

1994 Coturri Sonoma Valley

1996 Lava Cap Sierra Foothills

The prevailing wisdom is that zinfandel is not a wine for aging. While that may usually be the case, older zins are not always without their charms. It is just that most people select them for their over-the-top fruit and lushness, qualities not usually found in the older zins.

[Brad Ballinger]

There is some merit to the argument and practice of enjoying zinfandel in its youth -- particularly some of the amped up alcohol ones, whose brightness fades even after only 3-5 years in the bottle. But there are some producers who can amke zinfandel that benefits from age. A couple weeks ago I tasted three 1992 zinfandel wines from Ridge. The Lytton Springs seemed to be just started its downslide; the Geyserville was drinking beautifully, and the Lytton Estate ATP was still on the way up.

Regarding your Vigil. That's an odd wine. Vigil is an organic producer, and that wine upon release was almost too herbal to be drinkable for a number of people who tried it at a tasting. But maybe it's settled down.

[Andre]

Thank you all,

Brad,

Give the Vigil a try - it's worth it.

[ctgm]

I seem to have drunk a case of Ridge Geyserville 1993 and left behind 1 bottle. Should this be drunk now or can it last a bit longer?

[docsconz]

My feeling is that whileit probably could last longer, I'm not sure it will gain by it.

[Florida Jim]

Ravenswood was somehow a disapointment or my expectations were too high.

Will be glad to read comments and experience

Not too long ago, I had the pleasure of sitting down with a good group of fellow wine geeks and Joel Peterson in the courtyard at Ravenswood and tasting several Dickerson, Old Hill, Cooke, Monte Rosso and other vineyard designated zinfandels from Ravenswood. The vintages were from the late eighties and early to mid-nineties; perhaps not as old as some I have had, but still many showing the marks of cellaring.

With Joel there to talk about each bottle, giving personal insights, pertinent stories and remembered moments in the harvest, it was enlightening and entertaining.

On the whole, I thought the wines were good to very good with a couple of duds and a couple of outstanding bottles. But to be able to follow each vineyard's wines through those vintages was the really captivating part of the exercise; well, that and Joel's comments.

The Dickerson's were the most memorable; they have a distinct red raspberry profile and the shadings they went through depending on vintage gave me a pretty good grasp of what could and couldn't be done with that dirt.

In any event, that was one of the times I have had the opportunity to taste a large number of older zinfandels and it was an experience I would enjoy doing again.

Not that all or even most old zin. is my thing, but these were both interesting and, in most cases, pleasurable.

Best, Jim

[ctgm]

My feeling is that whileit probably could last longer, I'm not sure it will gain by it.

I've had a truly turd-like day so far so might pop it this evening (if I can gather enough energy to pull the cork) and will let you know the results if the cork is successfully extracted.

If today is anything to go by it will probably be corked! Don't you just hate keeping that bottle for years wondering when to drink it only to find out that it's gone.

[ctgm]

I pulled the cork on the Ridge Lyton Springs 1993.

I must say that i was disappointed as, to me, it was over the hills or perhaps I like them when they are young, full bodied and vivascious. Unfortunately it was none of these and was coupled with too much flavours that reminded me of volatile acidity.

wasn't nasty but not what I expected. Have some left over so will see what it is like this evening.