ZAP 98
Notes from the Mosh Pit
by califusa, Left Coast Correspondent to the Gang of Pour
24 January 1998, San Francisco
Part III

Ravenswood's Joel Peterson

1995 Wood Road - Belloni - in bottle and released. Just delicious - what we've come to expect from this property in the Fulton area of Sonoma County. Like all of the Ravenswood Vineyard Designates, this one needs a bit of time to come around. Good intensity of forward fruit, healthy core of acid, very pretty flavors, and should do well with a little time in bottle.

1996 Monte Rosso - Surprisingly forward fruit in the nose for this property, with very sweet aromas - more characteristic of a Sonoma Valley property than a mountain property. This is the second 1996 from Monte Rosso that has been amazingly well balanced. Wines from this property are usually known for their tight and tannic structure (Monster Rosso). Absolutely delicious fruit flavors in the mouth, with moderate but very well controlled tannins, and nicely balanced with oak, this wine promises to be a real beauty!

1992 Sonoma Old Vines from magnum - This is a delightful example of Joel's Old Vine Zinfandel. It's aged perfectly, and is drinking wonderfully right now, but has the structure to age a bit longer. Those of you who have this in your cellar may want to open a bottle or two now - this is an excellent food wine.

1996 Pezzi-King - Dry Creek Valley - a worthy successor to their highly sought-after 95,
generous flavors of classic Dry Creek Zin. This wine is in bottle now - it will be hard to resist it's immediate appeal.

1996 Preston Vineyards Estate - Old Vine Clones, Unfined, Unfiltered - This is exactly what I have come to expect from this highly underrated Dry Creek producer. Their wines typically and consistently show great balance, and lovely fruit. This wine is no exception. It has wonderful balance and immediate appeal - and for those of you looking for a moderately priced, ready to drink Zinfandel, this wine will not disappoint you.

1990 Estate - (I hosted a tasting of 16 Sonoma Zinfandels from the 1990 vintage a couple of years ago, and this wine was the overall favorite of the tasting.) Slightly oxidized and over-ripe nose, still has nice fruit flavors, but is starting to fall out of balance - surely not the wine it was 2-3 years ago.

St. Francis 1996 Old Vines - A portion of this fruit comes from the Pagani Ranch. A lot of vanilla and oak in the nose - that follow through on the palate. Now, I may be wrong, but personally, I think it's a shame to take this gorgeous fruit and virtually obscure it with new oak.

1996 Pagani Reserve- well, this is a bit reassuring - more fruit, and less oak, although still lavishly oaky, at least it allows some of that wonderful Pagani fruit to show through - but I'm afraid the wine still lacks balance, and these two wines are a big disappointment.

Dashe Cellars Anne Dashe

1996 Dashe Dry Creek - This is the debut release from this talented husband and wife winemaking team. The fruit comes from the east side of the valley, just north of the Teldesci vineyards. Beautiful Dry Creek fruit in the nose, very pretty on the palate, with a good backbone of acid and oak in good proportion. It's a very nicely balanced wine, and I look forward to tasting it when it's released. A very clear expression of Dry Creek Zin.

Jerry Sepps

 
1996 Estate Reserve - alas! A bit of funk in the nose, but the beautifully focused intensity of this wine can not be denied. Give it ten years, or more.

1996 Storrs Lion Oaks - Santa Cruz Mountains - Thanks to the education and notes from Milan and Jason, I'm becoming more of a fan of Santa Cruz Mountain wines. I've tasted Storrs' wines in the past, and I've found them to be a bit uneven. This 96 has beautifully dense color, a lovely intensity of fruit, and good balance. Just a hint of overripe fruit, or char from oak, but nevertheless, a wine to watch.

Saucelito Canyon 1996 - March release - This winery was one of my very favorites from last year's tasting, and this offering is equally impressive, and clearly in the top five of my limited samplings today. Great intensity of Zinfandel fruit; with a touch of pepper, briar, and spice; all in good balance. This little known winery is doing a bang-up job with Zinfandel, and this is a wine to seek out and purchase.

1996 Late Harvest - Arroyo Grande Valley - delightful intensity of Zinberry fruit in the nose, reminiscent of the Essences from Ridge, and with a hint of chalk that I find very appealing. However, on the palate there is more sugar than fruit - not terribly disappointing, but not as successful as other wines in the genre. Stick with their regular bottling - and let me know what time to be over for dinner.

Larry Turley

1996 Turley Hayne Vineyard - Surprisingly restrained, but well balanced fruit in the nose, not the overblown, overripe style these folks are sometimes faulted for. Lots of power on the palate, and a healthy dose of oak. Less alcoholic than last year - (a kinder, gentler Turley?)  I look forward to their barrel tasting this spring - we'll take some photos and notes then. They usually taste across the entire line - this year there will be 7 Zins.
     

1996 Morgan Grist Vineyard - very pretty Dry Creek fruit in the nose, follows on the palate in good balance - the tannins are a little prominent, but I expect them to even out as the wine gains a little bottle age. A highly recommended wine that should pair nicely with a wide range of foods. Unfortunately only 150 cases produced.

Jason Brandt Lewis holding a glass of - WHAT? - Chardonnay ?!?!?

TASTING NOTES ON:

Ravenswood Winery:
  1995 Wood Road - Belloni
  1996 Monte Rosso
  1992 Sonoma Old Vines

1996 Pezzi-King - Dry Creek Valley

Preston Vineyards:
  1996 Estate - Old Vine   Clones, Unfined, Unfiltered
  1990 Estate

St. Francis:
  1996 Old Vines
  1996 Pagani Reserve

1996 Dashe Cellars Dry Creek

Storybook Mountain 1996 Estate Reserve

1996 Storrs Lion Oaks - Santa Cruz Mountains

1996 Saucelito Canyon
1996 Late Harvest - Arroyo Grande Valley

1996 Turley Hayne Vineyard

1996 Morgan Grist Vineyard