Good, Good, not so good
Some quick reviews of three wines; a 2003 Steele Vineyards Zinfandel, a 2004 Cooper Barbera and a 2004 Black Swan Shiraz.
In a previous entry I mentioned a great Steele Carneros Pinot Noir had at dinner while in Sacramento, and that it will be available at Total Wine in the beginning of June. While I wasn't able to get the Pinot, I did find a 2003 Steele Old Vine Zinfandel Mendocino (Pacini Vineyards) that I decided to try based on the other wine.
This Zinfandel is from Mendocino. Quite a bit north of Gold Country and very much cooler. Closer to the coast, Mendocino doesn't get as hot as the interior does. This has a huge affect on the flavor of the wine.
In aroma it's similar to other Zinfandels, a hint of alcohol and spice with some woodiness, almost a cypress scent. It's a very pleasant aroma. The flavor is distinctively Zinfandel, but amazingly different than the Amador County version of the varietal. It has a pleasant spiciness and woody flavor common to Zinfandel with fruit flavors that are far more restrained. There is just a touch of sweetness and almost none of the jam-like flavors you'll get from a Sobon or Cooper. All in all I found this one more to my liking.
Another big difference between this Zinfandel and the Amador ones is the alcohol level. The Steele is 13.5% A.B.V., about average for wine. The alcohol content contributes to the wine's drinkability.
If you've tried Zinfandel and written it off as not your thing, I encourage you to give the Steele Mendocino Zinfandel a try. It may please your palate more than you expect.
I picked up the Cooper Barbera from Beyond Napa, during my recent trip to Sacramento. According to the WinePros site, Barbera grapes "...when cultivated in temperate areas and cropped for quality, ... can exhibit an attractive ripe aroma of red fruit, currants or blackberries that can be enhanced by vanilla, smoky or toasty notes added by barrel aging. On the other hand, neutral aroma, high color and acidity are all good characteristics for blending with other grapes and this is how Barbera is most frequently used."
I found this wine to have a spicy aroma with dried thyme, oak, cedar and blackberry that is complex and quite soothing. Smelling the wine in the glass is almost like opening a cedar cabinet full of spices. The wine has a brilliant gem-like purple color that I found very appealing, with a pronounced rim that's hot pink. It has a powerful flavor that contains some of the spiciness noted in the aroma with a touch of sage, oak and a bright lemony citrus finish that is rather suprising. The aftertaste is long and distinctly acidic, again reminiscent of lemons. The wine is pretty light on the tongue but doesn't feel watery. It's a complex wine with lots of different overtones, somewhat refreshing on the palate. This is dangerous; it's highly alcoholic (15.7% A.B.V.) All together this is a very intriguing wine of high quality but it fits into a narrow band of food pairings and may not be to everyone's taste.
Last and certainly least, the 2004 Black Swan Shiraz. I found the wine had an unpleasant yeasty odor which mellowed slightly but insufficiently over time. The flavor was unremarkable, not having many distinctive fruit flavors. My notes on this one are scanty, other than repeated "I don't like it" remarks. There are far better wines and better shiraz's at the same price point.
In a previous entry I mentioned a great Steele Carneros Pinot Noir had at dinner while in Sacramento, and that it will be available at Total Wine in the beginning of June. While I wasn't able to get the Pinot, I did find a 2003 Steele Old Vine Zinfandel Mendocino (Pacini Vineyards) that I decided to try based on the other wine.
This Zinfandel is from Mendocino. Quite a bit north of Gold Country and very much cooler. Closer to the coast, Mendocino doesn't get as hot as the interior does. This has a huge affect on the flavor of the wine.
In aroma it's similar to other Zinfandels, a hint of alcohol and spice with some woodiness, almost a cypress scent. It's a very pleasant aroma. The flavor is distinctively Zinfandel, but amazingly different than the Amador County version of the varietal. It has a pleasant spiciness and woody flavor common to Zinfandel with fruit flavors that are far more restrained. There is just a touch of sweetness and almost none of the jam-like flavors you'll get from a Sobon or Cooper. All in all I found this one more to my liking.
Another big difference between this Zinfandel and the Amador ones is the alcohol level. The Steele is 13.5% A.B.V., about average for wine. The alcohol content contributes to the wine's drinkability.
If you've tried Zinfandel and written it off as not your thing, I encourage you to give the Steele Mendocino Zinfandel a try. It may please your palate more than you expect.
I picked up the Cooper Barbera from Beyond Napa, during my recent trip to Sacramento. According to the WinePros site, Barbera grapes "...when cultivated in temperate areas and cropped for quality, ... can exhibit an attractive ripe aroma of red fruit, currants or blackberries that can be enhanced by vanilla, smoky or toasty notes added by barrel aging. On the other hand, neutral aroma, high color and acidity are all good characteristics for blending with other grapes and this is how Barbera is most frequently used."
I found this wine to have a spicy aroma with dried thyme, oak, cedar and blackberry that is complex and quite soothing. Smelling the wine in the glass is almost like opening a cedar cabinet full of spices. The wine has a brilliant gem-like purple color that I found very appealing, with a pronounced rim that's hot pink. It has a powerful flavor that contains some of the spiciness noted in the aroma with a touch of sage, oak and a bright lemony citrus finish that is rather suprising. The aftertaste is long and distinctly acidic, again reminiscent of lemons. The wine is pretty light on the tongue but doesn't feel watery. It's a complex wine with lots of different overtones, somewhat refreshing on the palate. This is dangerous; it's highly alcoholic (15.7% A.B.V.) All together this is a very intriguing wine of high quality but it fits into a narrow band of food pairings and may not be to everyone's taste.
Last and certainly least, the 2004 Black Swan Shiraz. I found the wine had an unpleasant yeasty odor which mellowed slightly but insufficiently over time. The flavor was unremarkable, not having many distinctive fruit flavors. My notes on this one are scanty, other than repeated "I don't like it" remarks. There are far better wines and better shiraz's at the same price point.
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