On Fri, 19 Jan 2007 12:10:53 -0500, Lawrence Leichtman
> wrote:

>In article .com>,
> "DaleW" > wrote:
>
>> Mark,
>> Claret-styled zin is a rather inexact concept, but to me it means not
>> as fruit forward, less brawny, less noticable new oak, yet with some
>> structure. The producers I can think of who tend to get it right (for
>> my tastes) are ones like Dashe and Nalle, where they go for a
>> restrained style, yet are relatively faithful to the character of the
>> grape (you might include some of the Ridges,even). As opposed to the
>> big Baile/Renwood GrandPere style or superripe Turley or the light
>> fruity styled ones. There are wines I find attractive in most styles,
>> and ones I find unattractive in all styles.
>> Did you like Storybook? Never tried that I can remember
>>
>> Mark Lipton wrote:
>> >
>> > Can you give a few examples of this style? To me, the most Claret-like
>> > Zin I can think of is probably made by Storybook Mountain, but I happen
>> > to quite like it. Perhaps you're thinking of a different style, though.
>> >
>
>I'm not a fan of any of these wines to date. They seem to embrace the
>worst of Zindandel and Cabernet and come out very harsh and unappealing
>to me even when Ridge does it.

We might start a movement. Zinfandel is supposed to be a rich, warm,
spicy, fruit-forward mouth-filling, UNSUBTLE wine. Others may differ,
but as Marie Antoinette would have said, "Let them drink Bourdeaux".

Ditto for Shiraz.

Now, if we get to Pinot Noir, then I can go both ways...

Ed Rasimus
Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret)
"When Thunder Rolled"
www.thunderchief.org
www.thundertales.blogspot.com