Ravenswood produces almost exclusively Zinfandels, and the winery is based in Sonoma, California.
This wine is part of their ‘County Series’, the mid-level range between the Single vineyards above, and the Vintner’s blends as an entry point. According to Ravenswood website, the ‘County Series’ aims at “showcasing the finest winegrowing regions of California, with an emphasis on Sonoma County”.
Well, Ravenswood have set themselves the expectations rather high on this Sonoma County Zin then, if the emphasis of the whole range is on this very County we’re looking at here. Does this mean the other wines in the range, from other counties (Napa, Mendocino or Lodi) are slightly less good?
Let’s have a look at what this rooted Zin has to tell us. As always, the answer is in the tasting notes:
Appearance: dark garnet color. Can’t see through. Shiny red on the rim, with just a little hint of orange hue showing off the wine’s few years of age.
Nose: Quite intense, quite something really! The nose feels as dark as the color: vanilla, coffee, dark chocolate, highly roasted hazelnuts. All this darkness and roastiness is surrounded with ripe fruit: plum, prune, dark (again) cherry liqueur. Exuberant spices too: peppermint, black pepper, clove and cinnamon. A slight volatile acidity is perceptible, but not bothering, freshening up the fruit aromas rather.
Palate: the wine is dry, with a touch of fruity sweetness. Decent acidity holds the wine together, so it doesn’t feel jammy or over-ripe. From the nose, I was expecting bigger tannins and body. But the wine is fairly smooth for a Zin. Of course, this is not a subtle low alcohol wine. You get a big BOOM of cooked spices mixed with jammy fruity flavours on the palate. The tannins are there too, present, and slightly drying on the finish. Mid-body for a Zin. The wine finishes on a salivating and enjoyable bitterness.
A very good Zin then. Big, not-so-bold, but delivering on flavours and intensity. Rather civilized on the whole with a wide range of flavours that keep going in your mouth well after you’ve swallowed. You really get captivated by this succession of dark aromas and flavours.
A dark temptation of a wine…
Further info at ravenswoodwinery.com
This wine retails at around $15 USD. Find it near you on Wine-Searcher.
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