Seghesio Zinfandel: 2003 Sonoma County Old Vine

While many of you may have heard of Seghesio’s newest release, a 2007 Sonoma County Zinfandel that was ranked 10th out of 100 on Wine Spectator’s best wines of 2008 (93 points and 24 bucks), I stumbled across a 2003 Sonoma County zin in the bargain bin of a wine shop in Indianapolis.

I have heard very little buzz around the ’03 and I’m very interested to see if the Seghesio pedigree holds true for the slightly older vintages.

Having a relatively subtle appearance, this bad boy weighed in at 15.3% alcohol, forcing it to compete in the super-heavyweight division.  Never one to shy away from a good scrap, I waded right in with a corkscrew in one hand and a decanter in the other.

Round 1: The last thing I saw was legs
This dark, dark garnet-colored wine had some of the thickest legs that I’ve seen on a wine in some time.  I knew that I was going to get pummeled, I just hadn’t realized quite how badly.

Round 2: How a 2003 Seghesio almost broke my nose
Blackberries and black licorice dominate the nose on this wine.  Both are very subtle and deep, leading one to believe that this zin has experience and age.  Definitely an old, old vine zinfandel, the complexity and depth of the nose really show off the high concentration that these low-yield old vines can produce.

Round 3: TKO.
Subtle black currant, coffee and smoky figs are the predominate flavors.  The Seghesio presents itself as a well-balanced fighter that can hold the course…all the way to the finish.

This is one of the best bottles that I’ve had the pleasure of enjoying in quite some time.  Keep your eyes open, and maybe you too can find a hidden gem

Thanks,
Ryan

PS – If you’re in the Cincinnati area and you do find some little treasure (and feel like sharing), please post a comment!

In Fall of 2008, Ryan and I had an amazing meal at Tra Vigne in Napa Valley.  The wine of choice for the evening was a 2005 Frog’s Leap Zinfandel. If you are not familiar with Frog’s Leap, they are a totally organic and self-sustaining winery located in the heart of Napa. Ry actually had a chance to hear the founder of Frog’s Leap speak at Viticulture 2006 about how he got his start in wine making (by stealing grapes from Stag’s Leap). When we visited Napa last fall, we had hoped to tour the Frog’s Leap winery but were not able to secure a spot on the very popular Frog’s Leap tour.

In lieu of our tour, we felt obligated to enjoy a bottle of Frog’s Leap  Zinfandel with our meal. As an appetizer, we had a wood-fired pizza with figs and gorgonzola. The remainder of the meal could be an entire post on its own, but suffice it to say that we spent the latter part of our evening on the Tra Vigne patio under an arbor of grape vines savoring the remainder of our zin.

It should come as no surprise that when, on a recent trip to Indianapolis, we spotted a 2002 Frog’s Leap Zinfandel in a small wine store we didn’t think twice about taking it home. Knowing that the bottle was begging to drunk, we enjoyed it on a Tuesday evening with bison steaks, a fresh tomato and basil salad and some oven roasted fingerlings. We decanted the wine about an hour prior to eating and we each took a small sample. It was good, but we knew that it would only get better. When dinner hit the table an hour later and we were ready to give the wine our second shot, the nose on the pour alone was enough to tell us that it was worth the wait.

Although this ‘02 Zin didn’t have the vibrant, deep purple color of so many younger Zinfandels, it still held its own displaying a deep and soft ruby tone. Buttery, yet slightly reminiscent of tart fruit on the nose, it is certainly a more subtle example of the wide array of Zinfandel wines produced in California, likely due to its age. On the tongue this wine is still primarily fruit-forward. Plums, cherries and figs dominate the mouth. However, the second sip and subsequent finishes tease the palette with just the slightest hint of fresh sage and aged asiago. A playful contrast between young and old.

As I glance back through this review, I realize that I have spent more time reflecting on the memory our first experience with this wine than of the actual 02 bottle. It’s not that the 02 isn’t great, because it is. The memory is brings back is better, though, and in that place and time, almost any wine would have been memorable.

I’m barely containing my excitement for this one, it’s that good.  However, I’ll do my best to cork my immaturity and take a measured approach to this wine’s evaluation and report card.

First, a little about Mazzocco.  They are smallish, very pleasant winery in Sonoma.  While they do produce other varietals than zinfandel, zins are what they do really, really well.

And now, for a recap on all of your favorite subjects:

Sight - “The perfect color for nail polish.” - Sarah.   While I’m not sure what she actually means, it’s a very dark red.  I’m guessing that this is pretty close to what sin actlooks like.

Smell - This is exactly what earth and summertime smell like, all muddled into a nice little cocktail.

Sip - “Bacon fat.  Bacon fat and toast.” - Sarah.  I’m going to have to go ahead and call bullsh!t on this one, Sarah.  While I might be able to get some toast, bacon fat is the last thing that I want in my zin.  Hell, I like bacon fat, it’s what makes my bacon taste so good.   And I can definitely taste some sort of creamy, fatty flavor to this - and it’s good.  I just can’t agree with bacon fat.

Savor - “Bacon!” No Sarah, I’m sorry.  I don’t think that you actually are getting bacon on “savor” portion of this standardized test.  However, what I do think that you may be picking up is a little tartness.  Not much but a little.  I guess I would expect that out of a wine that’s weighing in at 15.7% alcohol.

Swallow - “Very smooth. Pleasant with hints of non-sugary fruit.  Smooth.”  Spot on, Sarah.  I completely agree.

Winemaker Antoine Favero has really outdone himself on this one.  Have you every seen “Once upon a time in Mexico” with Johnny Depp?  Well, there is a scene where Johnny Depp’s character tastes a local Mexican dish that he perceives to disrupt the balance.  The dish is too good.  That’s how I feel about this wine, it’s almost too good.

If you haven’t had the pleasure to try a Mazzocco, I sincerely recommend that you do whenever you have a chance.  They don’t have very much (if any) distribution on the East coast, so you will likely have to pick it up from their store at mazzocco.com.

Cheers,
Ryan