2005 Howell Mountain Zinfandel Beatty Ranch

This wine has a lovely dark garnet color with well-defined legs once swirled.  On the nose I get lively aromas of black raspberry and white pepper and a tickling in the nose from the alcohol (15.6%).  Initially, I was getting hints of brettanomyces, but that seems to have blown off.  In the mouth one gets a nice fresh flavor of dark fruits, spice (pepper, primarily), and bright acid backed with a nice tannic structure.  The good balance of fruit, spice and acid lingers on the finish.  I've tasted this wine on three occasions with very consistent results.  This was a $15 bargain at Trader Joe's (retailed for $45).  The 2006 Beatty Ranch Zin is not of the same caliber.

2006 Ridge Zinfandel Dusi Ranch

This perennial favorite zin has a nice dark cherry color.  Although it's a little cold having just been brought up from the storage area beneath my house the nose gives off blackberries, cherries and a complex spice blend of white pepper, nutmeg and cloves.  Oh yes, and you can smell the alcohol, but the aromatic nature of the wine makes the alcohol not as pronounced as it could be at 15.8%!  Surprisingly devoid of tannins, the taste of this wine is dominated by cherry and dark berry fruit and much less spice than I expected from the aromas.  On the finish, the alcohol creates a burning effect on the tongue, but there is also fruit that lingers.  I would have expected to detect more acid than I'm getting, but I think the alcohol is masking that. This is not as sweet as some of Ridge's late picked wines, which have significant residual sugar and alcohol.  The grapes come from the Paso Robles area and were picked at a high sugar content which fermented efficiently providing a high alcohol, low RS wine.  I like it, but with I were drinking it with lamb instead of pizza.s

2006 Ridge Carmichael Zinfandel

Well, it happens, reportedly, about 5% of the time.  This wine is slightly corked, the musty aroma immediately detectable.  Ridge would certainly take it back, but I don't have time to mess with it.  I tried to get past that to see what a non-tainted bottle might offer.  The grapes come from Carmichael Ranch on the North Coast.  This medium-bodied wine has a pretty ruby color with nice gradation.  There is plenty of fruit on the nose, mostly blackberries, and a slight amount of spice.  In the mouth, there is a nice acid/fruit balance, but I can't get past the corkiness.  The rest goes down the drain.  Too bad, because I'm a big fan of the winery and of its winemaker, Paul Draper.

Update:  I contacted Ridge through their website and within three days they had delivered a new bottle at no charge.

1999 Kendall Jackson Great Estates Cabernet Sauvignon

This is the last bottle of a case of this wine I bought around 2002.  There is a slightly brown rim in the glass and the color of the wine has lightened slightly, now more translucent than I remember.  On the nose I get cassis, dark cherries and a grapey, slightly off (sulfuric) note.  Initially, the fruit had largely escaped, leaving a soft though prominent acidic taste.  The tannins have dwindled, as well, to the point of being non-existent.  As the wine opened up, the fruit began to come through and the acid subsided to create an enjoyable balance, which complemented the grilled filet mignon we had for dinner.  I've enjoyed this wine over the years and have appreciated the chance to see its development.

2003 A. Rafanelli Merlot

This wine began as a project for Shelly Rafanelli, daughter of David and Patty Rafanelli the winemaker their family winery that specializes in zinfandel and cabernet sauvignon.  A small production wine available only at the winery (their zin and cab are available to mailing list customers, at restaurants or at the winery only) is worth trying and buying.  On the nose one gets sweet cherries, earth tones and mushrooms.  Dark, but not completely opaque, the color is what you'd expect of a big wine.  While there was a lot of fruit on the palate, I got iron on the finish, which was a bit off-putting.  Still, I like the merlot and I respect the family and what they're doing with their wines.  You must call for an appointment to taste at A. Rafanelli, and don't be put off by their phone manner, which can be less than welcoming.  Once you're at the winery, I've never had less than a welcoming, gracious, and pleasant experience.

2001 Unti Petite Sirah

This dense wine comes from a small producer in the Dry Creek Valley.  A friend and I were wine tasting in the area in the summer of '03 and stopped in to see what this winery, unknown to us, was about.  A very friendly frenchman was working the tasting room and we had a good visit.  This bottle was about $20.  A dark purplish-black with bits of sediment, this petite sirah has a nose of blackberry with a bit of brettanomyaces.  In the mouth I'm getting the blackberry and other dark red fruits, acid and, as the wine opens up, the brett becomes more pronounced (not a positive).  The tannins have softened to the point of being barely noticeable, as the fruit and acid dominate throughout the finish.  While this is not the greatest petite sirah, it's nice to have something a bit off the mainstream from time to time.

2005 Serdonis Cabernet Sauvignon, Ink Grade Vineyard

Serdonis is known for making big Cabs from Howell Mountain Grapes.  After pulling the cork, on which tartrates had formed, there was a good amount of sediment on the neck which needed wiping before pouring the wine.  The color of this wine is true to its vineyard name; completely opaque, dense purplish-black.  On the nose there is abundant cassis, some oak, and a touch of bazooka (yes, the bubble gum).  The wine has a velvety mouthfeel with plenty of acid and dense, intense cassis.  Tannins are present, but they are surprisingly smooth, unlike other wines of this age I've had from Serdonis.  While the wine is well-made and enjoyable, it's not exceedingly complex.  This wine will hold up for another few years, but at this stage in its development I don't think it should celebrate its 10th birthday.