CALIFORNIA TASTING

ZIG ZAG ZIN

Zig Zag Zin was just one many Zinfandels tasted at Jacobs On the Mall who, on Monday afternoon, hosted a tasting for the Wine Institute of California.

The Zin is the grape most associated with the huge West Coast wine industry. Monday’s selections were excellent though I must say I really liked the Beringer Founders 14.5% on the Febvre stand where Peter Corr was an excellent host.

Left to r: Peter Corr (Febvre), Kevin Crowley (Fenn's Quay) and Maurice O'Mahony (Wine Alliance)

They also had the Cake Bread Cabernet Sauvignon, one of the most
expensive wines on show and also some Chardonnays including an inviting Beringer Stone Cellars example.

My visit had started with a really lively mouthful of Marimar Torres Don Miguel Vineyard Acero Chardonnay from Russian River. The wine is un-oaked and, as if to emphasise the point, Acero means steel in Spanish.

No shortage of to-the-point info at the Tindal Stand with the Château Montelena Napa Valley 2007 being their top Chardonnay. Conor O’Brien, at the James Nicholson stand, was another full of help and info on the day. He too had some excellent Chardonnays but it was the 2008 Cline Viognier that caught the attention of this blogger.

The Official Wines of Rock ‘n Roll were also on display and the white here was the “Woodstock” Mendocino Chardonnay. Barry and Fitzwilliam had a good choice, perhaps their best Char was the Concannon 2008 while the Robert Mondavi Fume Blanc 2006 was also excellent.

And their Concannon Petite Sirah 2008 red was another tasty wine. Classic Wines also had some notable reds and I really fancied their Scott Family Pinot Noir. Back now to the Rock ‘n Roll Wines, displayed by Premier Wines, and the reds here included the 40 Licks Mendocino Merlot and my favourite of the group: the Dark Side of the Moon Cabernet Sauvignon.

The Chateau Montelena reds, like the white, were in top form here and the Montelena Estate Calistoga 2003 just about edged out the Napa Valley 2006, not that I’d said no to either of them.

Back then to Conor at the Nicholson stand to sample their classy reds and my personal tops here was the Ridge Lytton Springs Zinfandel 2008 (74% Zin, 21 Petit Sirah and 5 Carignan).

This is the blurb on the Nicholson website where you’ll pay €36.50 for the bottle: "The 2008 Lytton Springs Proprietary Red, a blend of 74% Zinfandel, 21% Petite Sirah, and 5% Carignan, possesses a deep ruby/purple colour and good acidity, and a more closed style than the Geyserville, with a firmer, more restrained overall personality. It should drink well for 7-8 years. 91-93 pts." (eRobertParker.com, Feb 2010).

Finished off at this stand with a couple of tastings of the sweet wines of Quady. Started with the Essensia Orange Muscat 2007 (12.50 37.5cl). A gorgeous drink: silky, citrusy and sweet but not at all cloying or sticky.

Finally, the Elysium Black Muscat 2008 (same price). Again this is temptingly sweet without being syrupy and they say it goes well with desserts that combine red fruit and chocolate. Perfect for Valentine’s Day. Must try and remember that!