Zinfandel Bucket List
Explore the great regions of Zinfandel and their top wines
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Zinfandel Bucket List
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Comments
Oh boy, you totally left out one of the most AWESOME zinfandel areas in CA - Amador County! How could you not include it???! Try some Renwood zins and then get back to us!
Aug 02, 2012 at 1:14 PM
Think I'll have to at least try one of the Howell Mountain Zin's from Outpost.
Aug 02, 2012 at 1:41 PM
I agree on Amador, and because it is still off the beaten track despite being close to the oldest wine area in California, the values are outstanding. Like everywhere else there is lots of not very good wine to be had cheap, but the better efforts are excellent, reasonable in price, and also seem to do disproportionately well in the blind tasting contests and festivals.
Aug 02, 2012 at 1:44 PM
ddingley, thank you for your validating comment! I really didn't LOVE zins until I started drinking the ones from Amador - despite spending 20+ years in Sonoma County. Now that I live in the Sacramento area, I'm all about our local wine country here!
Aug 02, 2012 at 1:49 PM
I think the 1978 vintage put Amador on the map for Zin. It has been the place to watch ever since. Let's not forget El Dorado either.
Aug 02, 2012 at 2:40 PM
I'm on a budget, Dose anyone have any suggestions for a consumer friendly Zin?
Aug 02, 2012 at 4:08 PM
MacGregor-
Levens
Where is Mazzocco in your list? the BEST zins around in my book
Aug 02, 2012 at 4:24 PM
orm
limrick lane produces a world class zin that you would be remiss not to try
Aug 02, 2012 at 4:35 PM
Hi Catboots, I can suggest Renwood's Old Vine Zinfandel, 2008 or 2009. Retails for about $15/bottle, which is relatively inexpensive. You may find it for even less at some grocery stores or Beverages & More stores. I don't know if you're in the greater Sacramento area, but you can check Raley's/Bel Air, SaveMart, Safeway and other chains that might have it. Hope this helps!
Aug 02, 2012 at 5:01 PM
No doubt there's areas and wines beyond the ones mentioned here--based on the overlap, DCV did not get a separate mention from Rockpile, but I would include both because there are differences and because so many of the great Zins come from DCV. That said, Easton in particular deserves mention for it's wines from Amador County and other Sierra Foothills areas... but Greg's job is plenty tough already. Feel free to make your own bucket lists and keep the debate going. Gotta say, if a bucket list takes into account the "hard to get your hands on" factor, those Mauritson Rockpiles earn first place: Join their club or you will go wanting.
Aug 02, 2012 at 5:09 PM
I love to see passion about Zinfandel. I have to say that Greg's list is much more well-rounded than any one that I would create. While expression "bucket list" implies that these might be hard to find, I will look for them. If I can throw in one suggestion to the readership, however, I have never had a bad Rockpile Zin. As Foxall has indicated, the Mauritson mentioned in this list comes close to being unobtainable. Have heart, though. I have had outstanding Rockpiles from Rosenblum and Seghesio purchased at retail outlets. If I can't try Greg's bucket list, I can simulate it.
Aug 02, 2012 at 6:09 PM
Another vote or Amador Clounty...Some great Zins. Want one on the cheap? Kirkland (Costco) Amador old vine Zin, about $12.00. Van Rusten (sp?)Family Winery has some interesting Zins as well.
Aug 02, 2012 at 7:55 PM
I am in total agreement with the Rockpile zins from Mauritson and the Shale terrace and old vines from Fred Scherrer (having had the pleasure of visiting both in February 2010). The other zins that really stood out on that trip were the offerings from Ridge Vineyards, in particular, the Caboose struck a chord.
Aug 02, 2012 at 8:11 PM
Nice Greg. My bucket is full of Scherrer, Carlisle,Turley and Bedrock.
Aug 02, 2012 at 8:39 PM
Oh right, can't leave out Bedrock.
Aug 02, 2012 at 9:04 PM
catboots: pedroncelli, four vines, cline (even the 'non old vines' is a good table wine), and believe it or not, "big ass zin" :)
Aug 02, 2012 at 9:23 PM
For Catboots and others looking for a great deal on zin, I just got an e-mail from Cost Plus World Market, they are featuring a Cameron Hughes Lodi zin for $8.99 a bottle! Sounds like a great deal to me.
Aug 03, 2012 at 1:55 PM
wine
I agree with all of the comments about the Amador area. Love the pepper in them. However, we are being remiss in not mentioning the Lodi area. Many of the wines you find up in Amador will in fact have a Lodi appellation on them. "Stuck in Lodi" not such a bad thing these days for Zin lovers.
Aug 03, 2012 at 7:11 PM
Hey Old red-wine, I also agree with your comments about Lodi - becoming a very well-respected appellation these days, and deservedly so.
Aug 03, 2012 at 8:03 PM
This shows that there's lots of good zins out there and lots of spirited opinion. EMark, next time you are up here, I'll pop those Mauritsons in your honor. I just learned that Cemetery will only be available via wine club--it won't go to the general market at all. Good news for Scherrer fans: The winery is having their open house this weekend, but the address in the list is not theirs. They are at 4940 Ross Road Sebastopol, CA (707) 824-1933. Get on their newsletter list, it's full of good info from Fred, who has deep roots in the growing side and was at the right hand of Dehlinger for many years. Zin futures on those Scherrer bottles are available right now, too, so go there if you can. I'm going to add some Carlisle and Bedrock to my stash when I can--OT has my palate marked.
Aug 03, 2012 at 8:09 PM
Greg
You mentioned Edmeades. Their Zins were second to none. I went to an Edmeades tasting back in the mid eighties. I had a stash of their Zins that included the 1981 that you mentioned. They had several vineyard designations. All were high elevation (1200ft.+) and most had vines that were eighty to a hundred years plus. Loved their wine.
Aug 06, 2012 at 8:47 AM
Thank you for the invitation, Fox. I will be happy to take you up on it, although, I don't see any trips up there in the near term.
Aug 06, 2012 at 5:24 PM
Dietz
No Ridge?
Aug 08, 2012 at 4:16 PM
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