Dashe Cellars Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel Florence Vineyard 2009

Pretty floral notes and zesty red berry fruit along with some underbrush on the nose. Hints of white pepper. Lovely palate with black raspberry, cherry, mineral, clove and light spice. Great smooth texture and pretty, floral notes throughout. Very nice zin! 92 pts. 4/6/13

Nose of fresh baked berry tart, cherry cola, and pepper. The palate is thin and uninteresting. Very generic "red wine" taste. Slight hints of what zin should taste like, but lacks the bold flavor that the varietal is known for. Very disappointing bottle. Revisited two days later: After my initial review, I realized that this wine just isn't made in the style of most zins and needed some time to open up, so I set the bottle aside and revisited each day to see its progress. On the third day after opening, I was pleasantly surprised to see how it had evolved. The nose has retained its strong red fruit characteristics, but now offers warm baking spice and a slight hint of caramel. The palate, though still a bit rigid for my taste, has opened up to reveal luscious crushed bright red cherry, white pepper, and a hint of licorice. The alcohol still remains a bit out of balance, despite only being 14.2%. Overall, I honestly think this wine just needs more time in the bottle 88pts. Tasted first on 04/12, tasted again on 4/15/13 for final review.

Delightful Zinfandel. There is a strong chocolate note in this wine. Needs about an hour to breathe.