Dashe Cellars Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley Late Harvest 2007

The 1999 Dry Creek Zinfandel (14.5% alcohol) exhibits copious quantities of deep, rich, earthy, spicy, seaweed, pepper, and black currant/cherry fruit. Medium to full-bodied, pure, and supple, it should be consumed over the next 3ndash;4 years.

The black herb scent yields to a lovely textured mouthful of red and black raspberry fruit. Itrsquo;s dense, weighty and full; if you drink it with lamb chops, you wonrsquo;t need the mint.

A blend of several vineyards, this is a generous Zin, and very ripe, to judge from the blast of sun-warmed wild berry and cocoa flavors that spread over the palate. Itrsquo;s quite soft in the mouth, and finishes a bit sweet.

An explosion of fruit, this touches all the senses on the tongue, a huge berry flavor ripening from cranberry to blackberry and currants. Freshness runs through it from the beautiful color to the brilliant focus on fruit mdash; not at all Port-like, just fully ripe. Sleeping underneath it all are scents of smoke. tobacco, Earl Grey tea, all giving a sense of the complexity to come with further age. For now, the wine is seamless, focused, impossible to pull apart. And while the rating has nothing to do with the price, at $20, itrsquo;s a steal.

WE: 90 Points

Pretty, plush tannins frame a patchwork of black cherry, plum, cassis, chocolate and coffee flavors. The finish is long and smooth, with a rich creaminess at the end. Less oak-driven than the single-vineyard releases.

A beautiful blend of 93% Zinfandel, 5% Petite Sirah, and 2% Carignane, this dark plum/ruby-tinged 2004 boasts a big, sweet perfume of jammy strawberries, kirsch, resin, spice, and pepper. Deep, rich, broad, soft, and seductive with a plush, full-bodied mouthfeel as well as a long finish, it will provide plenty of pleasure over the next 3ndash;4 years.