One of the great treats about being back in the Bay Area this winter is
getting to attend some of the events put on by ZAP (Zinfandel Advocates
and Producers), a great organization devoted to promoting the virtues of
Zinfandel. The 4-day ZAP festival culminates in the "Big Event," where
nearly 300 producers will taste their latest offerings. Of the four
events, our favorite is the Food and Wine tasting, held last night at
Ft. Mason in SF. A smaller scale event, with ~40 wineries, each paired
with a food vendor, this tasting is less frenetic and also gives you a
chance to consider what foods go well with the various Zins on offer.
Here are my highlights:

Amador Foothill 2000 Ferrero Vineyard
nose: briery pepper
palate: medium body, smooth, berryish fruit and oak in the finish

Amador Foothill 2001 Esola
nose: tart berries
palate: slightly tannic, spicy, red berries and a tarry finish

served with a "deconstructed samosa" which went adequately with the
wines (3 on the Hoare scale). Both wines were enjoyable, though the
Esola was a more impressive wine.

Ridge 2002 Lytton Springs
nose: closed-in, minerals and cedar
palate: medium-full body, red berry fruit, slightly oaky with a clean finish

Very nice Zin, but a bit on the light side for Ridge Lytton Springs.
Though not at this tasting, I've also had the '02 Geyserville, which IMO
is a more substantial offering. Still, both wines are far better than
the ludicrously bad reviews they got in the Wine Speculator. Is James
Laube losing it?

served with a sumac-crusted lamb with chippolini onions (good match - 4
on the Hoare scale)

Hendry 2002 Block 7
nose: berryish fruit
palate: oaky entry, red fruit, finishing on oak

Hendry 2001 Block 28
nose: dark fruit, briery
palate: big, rich, slightly tannic with lots of dark fruit present

Was the big difference the year or the terroir? In any event, the Block
28 was far more enjoyable than its more recent sibling.

served with an antelope sausage topped with a sun-dried cherry compote
(excellent match - another 4)

Karly 2002 Warrior Fires
nose: pure fruit, pepper
palate: classic Zin character, berries, tar, pepper, long finish

One of my perennial favorites from Amador County, this wine didn't
disappoint. Almost elegant, it showed classic varietal character.

served with baby back ribs with paquito beans (good match - 3)

Zoom 2002 Continente Vyd Contra Costa County
nose: oak, jammy blackberry
palate: chocolate, tannins, rich and deep, dark fruit, nice acidity

Zoom 2002 Alexander Valley
nose: soy sauce and tea?
palate: rich, oaky, pencil lead, tannins and spice

Of the two, the Continente was head and shoulders better (and my WOTN).
Both wines were among the richest and deepest I tasted that night.
Way to go, Zoom!

tasted with a pheasant gallatine with pistachio, apricot and mission fig
compote (another good match -3 to 4)

Renwood 2001 Grandpere
nose: tar and cedar
palate: tar, acids, tannins, med. body, oaky finish

Where's the fruit? This wine had the structure and other notes, but
just wasn't fruity enough, a cardinal sin in a Zin.

served with duck confit, sauteed spinach, mixed mushrooms and onion
marmalade (a bit overwhelmed by the wine - 2)

Ravenswood 1994 Monte Bello
color: brick with orange at the rim
nose: cedar, smoke, red fruit
palate: acidic on entry, medium-full body, berries and tar

Ravenswood 2002 Monte Bello
nose: berries and pepper
palate: rich, red berry fruit, decent acidity, oak, medium-full body

The treat here was being served the wine by none other than Joel
Peterson, founder, winemaker and erstwhile owner of Ravenswood. As I
have a number of Ravenswood Monte Rossos in my cellar, I was curious to
see how the '94 had evolved. And who says Zin can't age? Both wines
were very nice, if a bit lighter than I had expected.

served with a roast pork sandwich with stewed onions and prunes (the
spicy mustard did in the wines - 2)

Overall, the impressions I came away with were that the 2002 Zins are a
lighter bodied bunch than than the 2001s. Zoom definitely had the
standout wines, though I didn't try the Rosenblum and Storybook Mtn
offerings (baby was getting tired). Once again, this event was well
worth the price of admission and a lot of fun.

So, what did we learn about pairing foods with Zin? First off, Zin goes
well with lamb, smoked pork and various game meats. Secondly, fruity
condiments on the meat do seem to enhance the match with Zin, but one
should be careful not to make them too sweet.

Mark Lipton

Mark Lipton states in part:

"Ravenswood 1994 Monte Bello
color: brick with orange at the rim
nose: cedar, smoke, red fruit
palate: acidic on entry, medium-full body, berries and tar

Ravenswood 2002 Monte Bello
nose: berries and pepper
palate: rich, red berry fruit, decent acidity, oak, medium-full body

The treat here was being served the wine by none other than Joel
Peterson, founder, winemaker and erstwhile owner of Ravenswood. As I
have a number of Ravenswood Monte Rossos in my cellar, I was curious to
see how the '94 had evolved. And who says Zin can't age? Both wines were
very nice, if a bit lighter than I had expected."

You mention Monte Bello in the description of both wines, but Monte
Rosso in your discussion that follows. I have only seen Ridge Monte
Bello Zinfandel, but I have not been keeping up with recent Ravenswood
wines. Does Ravenswood also now produce a Monte Bello, or is there a
typo?

My mailbox is always full to avoid spam. To contact me, erase
from my email address. Then add . I do not
check this box every day, so post if you need a quick response.

On Sat, 29 Jan 2005 02:37:38 -0600, (Cwdjrx _)
wrote:

>Mark Lipton states in part:
>
>"Ravenswood 1994 Monte Bello
>color: brick with orange at the rim
>nose: cedar, smoke, red fruit
>palate: acidic on entry, medium-full body, berries and tar
>
>Ravenswood 2002 Monte Bello
>nose: berries and pepper
>palate: rich, red berry fruit, decent acidity, oak, medium-full body
>
>The treat here was being served the wine by none other than Joel
>Peterson, founder, winemaker and erstwhile owner of Ravenswood. As I
>have a number of Ravenswood Monte Rossos in my cellar, I was curious to
>see how the '94 had evolved. And who says Zin can't age? Both wines were
>very nice, if a bit lighter than I had expected."
>
>You mention Monte Bello in the description of both wines, but Monte
>Rosso in your discussion that follows. I have only seen Ridge Monte
>Bello Zinfandel, but I have not been keeping up with recent Ravenswood
>wines. Does Ravenswood also now produce a Monte Bello, or is there a
>typo?

My comment exactly! Ravenswood Monte Bello?

And, it should be noted that Ridge Monte Bello is a predominantly
Cabernet Sauvignon blend (doesn't meet the total CS percentage
requirement to be labeled as such in California).

I agree totally with the comment about the '02 Ridge Lytton
Spring--much reduced in strength and power from what is usually
encountered in a Ridge LS. The other two Ridge Zins released at the
same time: Pagani Ranch and Ponzo were more representative of Paul
Draper's usual efforts.

Has anyone encountered the '03 "Heritage" coming out from Ridge in the
near future?


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

Ed Rasimus wrote:
> On Sat, 29 Jan 2005 02:37:38 -0600, (Cwdjrx _)
> wrote:
>
>
>>Mark Lipton states in part:
>>
>>"Ravenswood 1994 Monte Bello
>>color: brick with orange at the rim
>>nose: cedar, smoke, red fruit
>>palate: acidic on entry, medium-full body, berries and tar
>>
>>Ravenswood 2002 Monte Bello
>>nose: berries and pepper
>>palate: rich, red berry fruit, decent acidity, oak, medium-full body
>>
>>The treat here was being served the wine by none other than Joel
>>Peterson, founder, winemaker and erstwhile owner of Ravenswood. As I
>>have a number of Ravenswood Monte Rossos in my cellar, I was curious to
>>see how the '94 had evolved. And who says Zin can't age? Both wines were
>>very nice, if a bit lighter than I had expected."
>>
>>You mention Monte Bello in the description of both wines, but Monte
>>Rosso in your discussion that follows. I have only seen Ridge Monte
>>Bello Zinfandel, but I have not been keeping up with recent Ravenswood
>>wines. Does Ravenswood also now produce a Monte Bello, or is there a
>>typo?
>
>
> My comment exactly! Ravenswood Monte Bello?

Yes, my bad! I of course meant Monte Rosso, the old Louis Martini
vineyard, but for some reason it came out Monte Bello (no doubt wishful
thinking!)

Mark Lipton

Ed Rasimus states in part: "And, it should be noted that Ridge Monte
Bello is a predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon blend (doesn't meet the
total CS percentage requirement to be labeled as such in California)."

Monte Bello has been used by Ridge for both Zinfandel and Cabernet
Sauvignon wines that are so labeled. For example I have a bottle of
Ridge 1973 California Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Bello, estate grown,
Monte Bello, 2300-2600 feet, bottled Oct 1975, alcohol 12.8% by volume,
produced and botted by Ridge Vineyards, 17100 Monte Bello Rd, Cupertino,
California.

The Zinfandel is Ridge California Zinfandel Monte Bello 1973, Montebello
Ridge,1100 ft and 1500 ft vineyards, bottled Dec 1974, alcohol 12.6% by
volume, produced and bottled by Ridge Vineyards, 17100 Monte Bello Rd,
Cupertino, California. Notice this wine does not claim to be estate
bottled as was the Cabernet.

The back labels of both bottles have this to say: "Near Black Mountain
on Monte Bello Ridge, our main vineyard is 10 miles south of Palo Alto,
15 miles inland from the ocean, and over 2000 feet in elevation."

I also have Ridge Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon from 1974, 1976, and
1990.

I have not seen a Ridge wine just named Monte Bello, but that would seem
to be a reasonable thing to do for a Ridge wine grown in the Montebello
Ridge area that is a blend and that does not qualify to be labeled
Cabernet Sauvignon.

My mailbox is always full to avoid spam. To contact me, erase
from my email address. Then add . I do not
check this box every day, so post if you need a quick response.

On Sat, 29 Jan 2005 12:08:19 -0600, (Cwdjrx _)
wrote:

>Ed Rasimus states in part: "And, it should be noted that Ridge Monte
>Bello is a predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon blend (doesn't meet the
>total CS percentage requirement to be labeled as such in California)."
>
>Monte Bello has been used by Ridge for both Zinfandel and Cabernet
>Sauvignon wines that are so labeled. For example I have a bottle of
>Ridge 1973 California Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Bello, estate grown,
>Monte Bello, 2300-2600 feet, bottled Oct 1975, alcohol 12.8% by volume,
>produced and botted by Ridge Vineyards, 17100 Monte Bello Rd, Cupertino,
>California.
>
>The Zinfandel is Ridge California Zinfandel Monte Bello 1973, Montebello
>Ridge,1100 ft and 1500 ft vineyards, bottled Dec 1974, alcohol 12.6% by
>volume, produced and bottled by Ridge Vineyards, 17100 Monte Bello Rd,
>Cupertino, California. Notice this wine does not claim to be estate
>bottled as was the Cabernet.
>
>The back labels of both bottles have this to say: "Near Black Mountain
>on Monte Bello Ridge, our main vineyard is 10 miles south of Palo Alto,
>15 miles inland from the ocean, and over 2000 feet in elevation."
>
>I also have Ridge Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon from 1974, 1976, and
>1990.
>
>I have not seen a Ridge wine just named Monte Bello, but that would seem
>to be a reasonable thing to do for a Ridge wine grown in the Montebello
>Ridge area that is a blend and that does not qualify to be labeled
>Cabernet Sauvignon.

Your experience with Ridge goes back a lot further than mine. I was
unfamiliar with the fact that in the past Ridge had done a Zin
bottling out of Monte Bello.

I went searching for more information and unfortunately couldn't find
much in the way of links that displayed the Ridge Monte Bello label
except for this one:
http://www.liquorama.net/browseprodu...-Rated-93.HTML

Note that all that the label displays is the three large-print line:
Ridge
California
Monte Bello

Check the fine print below and you'll see the blend (at least for '97)
of 70% CS, 24% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 1% Cab Franc.

The Ridge web site notes recent Monte Bello bottlings of Chardonnay as
well as the flagship CS blend.



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

Ed, I just put up an image of the Ridge 1973 Monte Bello Zinfandel at:

http://www.cwdjr.net/picsnap/RidgeZin73MB.jpg

The glue did not hold very well on some Ridge labels back then, and I
had to use rubber bands to keep the label on the bottle for this wine.
The CS label glue is holding well, so I did not try to remove it.
However Cabernet Sauvignon is displayed on it much as is Zinfandel on
the label shown.

I have a domain set up so that it was no trouble to scan the label, crop
and convert to a jpg, and automatically upload to my site using CuteFTP.
My site is private, so one can not view the contents by going to an
index page. You have to have a specific URL to get in.

My mailbox is always full to avoid spam. To contact me, erase
from my email address. Then add . I do not
check this box every day, so post if you need a quick response.

I went to Zap "Flights" instead of food and wine tasting.

Peter Granoff of Ferry Plaza Wine Merchants in San Francisco was the
moderator for this event.
They had four flights of four wines with different "themes" for each flight.

1st Flight: Out of the Barrel The 2004 Zinfandel Vintage
Robert Biale Vineyards Aldo's Vineyard" Napa Valley
Peachy Canyon Winery Mustang springs ranch, Paso Robles
Ridge Vineyards Lytton springs, Dry Creek
Tres Sabores, Rutherford, Napa Valley
I am a very inexperienced taster and these were all basically barrel
samples. The Ridge was the one further along while in my opinion the Tres
Sabores still had some residual sugar. The first two were just way too
yeasty and I could not see where they were going at all.
Robert Biale, Doug Beckett, Paul Draper and Julie Johnson were the panel;
they all said 2004 is going to be a great vintage for zin (surprise!).
Highlight of the flight was Julie Johnson falling off her chair from the
podium. This was only the first flight so the podium was removed as a
precaution.

2nd Flight: Zinfandel Style Taste the Range
Boeger Winery, 2002 Old Clone Zin, "Estate bottled, El Dorado
D-Cubed Cellars, 2002 Howell Mountain Zin, Napa Valley
Mara Winery, Dolinsek Ranch, Russian River Valley
Rosenblum Cellars, 2002 Annette's reserve Zin, Redwood Valley
Mara's wine was the most distinct wine of the flight; much darker than the
others but in my opinion with too much pepper flavor on the nose and on the
palate. My favorite was the Rosenblum for balance.
Justin Boeger, Duane Dappen, Charles Mara and Kent Rosenblum talked about
what they do to achieve their style (cold soaks, yields per acre, yeast
choice etc.)

Old Vine Zinfandel Myth and Reality
Edmeades Winery 2002 Zin, Ciapusci vineyard, Mendocino ridge
Rancho Zabaco Winery, 2003 Toreador Zin, Monte Rosso vineyard, Sonoma Valley
Saxon Brown, 2001 Cas Santimaria, "Old Vine", Sonoma Valley
Storybook Mountain Vineyards, 2001 Estate reserve Zin
I thought Storybook's wine could have been the best but it was overoaked;
this is my humble opinion and I would like to point out that in general I do
not like oak. This could be a very good wine for others. I thought Saxon's
wine had the best balance of the flight.
Van Williamson, Eric Cinnamon, Jeff Gaffner and Dr. J. Bernard Seps talked
about the age of the vines that produced these wines and why the believe
older vines produce superior wines.

Vineyard Blends vs. Single Vineyards Personality Profiles
Bourassa Vineyards 2003 Odyssey Zin, Napa Valley (blend)
Macchia, 2003 Zin "Adventurous", Linsteadt vineyard, Amador county
Marr Cellars 2003 Mattern ranch, County old vine Zin, Mendocino
Ravenswood 2001 Old Hill Zin, Sonoma Valley
The Ravenswood was in my opinion the best wine of the night. Great structure
and balance and I think long aging potential. The Bourassa blend was pretty
interesting as well while I thought the Macchia was good on the nose but was
a bit too sweet for my taste.
Vic Bourassa, Tim Holdener, Bob Marr and Joel Peterson discussed the merits
of single vineyards. Vic Bourassa is totally into blending and defended his
position strongly.

All the panelists are very much into Zin. It was good to hear people who are
passionate about this type of wine.
Personally I think zin can produce very good wine but I will say I prefer
the more subdued balanced understated zins over some of the fruit bombs that
might have made the wine famous.

E
01/26/05 Zap "Flights"

Someone asked for a post on ZAP so here it goes.
Peter Granoff of Ferry Plaza Wine Merchants in San Francisco was the
moderator for this event.

1st Flight: Out of the Barrel The 2004 Zinfandel Vintage
Robert Biale Vineyards Aldo's Vineyard" Napa Valley
Peachy Canyon Winery Mustang springs ranch, Paso Robles
Ridge Vineyards Lytton springs, Dry Creek
Tres Sabores, Rutherford, Napa Valley
I am a very inexperienced taster and these were all basically barrel
samples. The Ridge was the one further along while in my opinion the Tres
Sabores still had some residual sugar. The first two were just way too
yeasty and I could not see where they were going at all.
Robert Biale, Doug Beckett, Paul Draper and Julie Johnson were the panel;
they all said 2004 is going to be a great vintage for zin (surprise!).
Highlight of the flight was Julie Johnson falling off her chair from the
podium. This was only the first flight so the podium was removed as a
precaution.

2nd Flight: Zinfandel Style Taste the Range
Boeger Winery, 2002 Old Clone Zin, "Estate bottled, El Dorado
D-Cubed Cellars, 2002 Howell Mountain Zin, Napa Valley
Mara Winery, Dolinsek Ranch, Russian River Valley
Rosenblum Cellars, 2002 Annette's reserve Zin, Redwood Valley
Mara's wine was the most distinct wine of the flight; much darker than the
others but in my opinion with too much pepper flavor on the nose and on the
palate. My favorite was the Rosenblum for balance.
Justin Boeger, Duane Dappen, Charles Mara and Kent Rosenblum talked about
what they do to achieve their style (cold soaks, yields per acre, yeast
choice etc.)

Old Vine Zinfandel Myth and Reality
Edmeades Winery 2002 Zin, Ciapusci vineyard, Mendocino ridge
Rancho Zabaco Winery, 2003 Toreador Zin, Monte Rosso vineyard, Sonoma Valley
Saxon Brown, 2001 Cas Santimaria, "Old Vine", Sonoma Valley
Storybook Mountain Vineyards, 2001 Estate reserve Zin
I thought Storybook's wine could have been the best but it was overoaked;
this is my humble opinion and I would like to point out that in general I do
not like oak. This could be a very good wine for others. I thought Saxon's
wine had the best balance of the flight.
Van Williamson, Eric Cinnamon, Jeff Gaffner and Dr. J. Bernard Seps talked
about the age of the vines that produced these wines and why the believe
older vines produce superior wines.

Vineyard Blends vs. Single Vineyards Personality Profiles
Bourassa Vineyards 2003 Odyssey Zin, Napa Valley (blend)
Macchia, 2003 Zin "Adventurous", Linsteadt vineyard, Amador county
Marr Cellars 2003 Mattern ranch, County old vine Zin, Mendocino
Ravenswood 2001 Old Hill Zin, Sonoma Valley
The Ravenswood was in my opinion the best wine of the night. Great structure
and balance and I think long aging potential. The Bourassa blend was pretty
interesting as well while I thought the Macchia was good on the nose but was
a bit too sweet for my taste.
Vic Bourassa, Tim Holdener, Bob Marr and Joel Peterson discussed the merits
of single vineyards. Vic Bourassa is totally into blending and defended his
position strongly.

All the panelists are very much into Zin. It was good to hear people who are
passionate about this type of wine.
Personally I think zin can produce very good wine but I will say I prefer
the more subdued balanced understated zins over some of the fruit bombs that
might have made the wine famous.

E

In article >, says...
>
>One of the great treats about being back in the Bay Area this winter is
>getting to attend some of the events put on by ZAP (Zinfandel Advocates
>and Producers), a great organization devoted to promoting the virtues of
>Zinfandel. The 4-day ZAP festival culminates in the "Big Event," where
>nearly 300 producers will taste their latest offerings. Of the four
>events, our favorite is the Food and Wine tasting, held last night at
>Ft. Mason in SF. A smaller scale event, with ~40 wineries, each paired
>with a food vendor, this tasting is less frenetic and also gives you a
>chance to consider what foods go well with the various Zins on offer.
>Here are my highlights:
>
>Amador Foothill 2000 Ferrero Vineyard
>nose: briery pepper
>palate: medium body, smooth, berryish fruit and oak in the finish
>
>Amador Foothill 2001 Esola
>nose: tart berries
>palate: slightly tannic, spicy, red berries and a tarry finish
>
>served with a "deconstructed samosa" which went adequately with the
>wines (3 on the Hoare scale). Both wines were enjoyable, though the
>Esola was a more impressive wine.
>
>Ridge 2002 Lytton Springs
>nose: closed-in, minerals and cedar
>palate: medium-full body, red berry fruit, slightly oaky with a clean finish
>
>Very nice Zin, but a bit on the light side for Ridge Lytton Springs.
>Though not at this tasting, I've also had the '02 Geyserville, which IMO
>is a more substantial offering. Still, both wines are far better than
>the ludicrously bad reviews they got in the Wine Speculator. Is James
>Laube losing it?
>
>served with a sumac-crusted lamb with chippolini onions (good match - 4
>on the Hoare scale)
>
>Hendry 2002 Block 7
>nose: berryish fruit
>palate: oaky entry, red fruit, finishing on oak
>
>Hendry 2001 Block 28
>nose: dark fruit, briery
>palate: big, rich, slightly tannic with lots of dark fruit present
>
>Was the big difference the year or the terroir? In any event, the Block
>28 was far more enjoyable than its more recent sibling.
>
>served with an antelope sausage topped with a sun-dried cherry compote
>(excellent match - another 4)
>
>Karly 2002 Warrior Fires
>nose: pure fruit, pepper
>palate: classic Zin character, berries, tar, pepper, long finish
>
>One of my perennial favorites from Amador County, this wine didn't
>disappoint. Almost elegant, it showed classic varietal character.
>
>served with baby back ribs with paquito beans (good match - 3)
>
>Zoom 2002 Continente Vyd Contra Costa County
>nose: oak, jammy blackberry
>palate: chocolate, tannins, rich and deep, dark fruit, nice acidity
>
>Zoom 2002 Alexander Valley
>nose: soy sauce and tea?
>palate: rich, oaky, pencil lead, tannins and spice
>
>Of the two, the Continente was head and shoulders better (and my WOTN).
> Both wines were among the richest and deepest I tasted that night.
> Way to go, Zoom!
>
>tasted with a pheasant gallatine with pistachio, apricot and mission fig
>compote (another good match -3 to 4)
>
>Renwood 2001 Grandpere
>nose: tar and cedar
>palate: tar, acids, tannins, med. body, oaky finish
>
>Where's the fruit? This wine had the structure and other notes, but
>just wasn't fruity enough, a cardinal sin in a Zin.
>
>served with duck confit, sauteed spinach, mixed mushrooms and onion
>marmalade (a bit overwhelmed by the wine - 2)
>
>Ravenswood 1994 Monte Bello
>color: brick with orange at the rim
>nose: cedar, smoke, red fruit
>palate: acidic on entry, medium-full body, berries and tar
>
>Ravenswood 2002 Monte Bello
>nose: berries and pepper
>palate: rich, red berry fruit, decent acidity, oak, medium-full body
>
>The treat here was being served the wine by none other than Joel
>Peterson, founder, winemaker and erstwhile owner of Ravenswood. As I
>have a number of Ravenswood Monte Rossos in my cellar, I was curious to
>see how the '94 had evolved. And who says Zin can't age? Both wines
>were very nice, if a bit lighter than I had expected.
>
>served with a roast pork sandwich with stewed onions and prunes (the
>spicy mustard did in the wines - 2)
>
>Overall, the impressions I came away with were that the 2002 Zins are a
>lighter bodied bunch than than the 2001s. Zoom definitely had the
>standout wines, though I didn't try the Rosenblum and Storybook Mtn
>offerings (baby was getting tired). Once again, this event was well
>worth the price of admission and a lot of fun.
>
>So, what did we learn about pairing foods with Zin? First off, Zin goes
>well with lamb, smoked pork and various game meats. Secondly, fruity
>condiments on the meat do seem to enhance the match with Zin, but one
>should be careful not to make them too sweet.
>
>Mark Lipton

Well eat my heart out! We used to do ZAP in Denver, and attended the one (
possibly the only one) in AZ some years back. This was always a wonderful
event, and I only hoped to have a trip to CA for this year's event. Las Vegas
and business won out.

I've not tasted the Zoom, but will give it a look, provided that it gets into
AZ.

Thanks for the notes. Sounds like CA is agreeing with you guys. We expect to
hear more, great things.

Hunt

In article >,
says...
>
>Mark Lipton states in part:
>
>"Ravenswood 1994 Monte Bello
>color: brick with orange at the rim
>nose: cedar, smoke, red fruit
>palate: acidic on entry, medium-full body, berries and tar
>
>Ravenswood 2002 Monte Bello
>nose: berries and pepper
>palate: rich, red berry fruit, decent acidity, oak, medium-full body
>
>The treat here was being served the wine by none other than Joel
>Peterson, founder, winemaker and erstwhile owner of Ravenswood. As I
>have a number of Ravenswood Monte Rossos in my cellar, I was curious to
>see how the '94 had evolved. And who says Zin can't age? Both wines were
>very nice, if a bit lighter than I had expected."
>
>You mention Monte Bello in the description of both wines, but Monte
>Rosso in your discussion that follows. I have only seen Ridge Monte
>Bello Zinfandel, but I have not been keeping up with recent Ravenswood
>wines. Does Ravenswood also now produce a Monte Bello, or is there a
>typo?
>
>My mailbox is always full to avoid spam. To contact me, erase
from my email address. Then add . I do not
>check this box every day, so post if you need a quick response.

I've got Ridge, Ravenswood, Rosenblum and Steven Ross Monte Rossos. All have
been great Zins.

Hunt

In article >, says...
>
>Ed Rasimus wrote:
>> On Sat, 29 Jan 2005 02:37:38 -0600, (Cwdjrx _)
>> wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Mark Lipton states in part:
>>>
>>>"Ravenswood 1994 Monte Bello
>>>color: brick with orange at the rim
>>>nose: cedar, smoke, red fruit
>>>palate: acidic on entry, medium-full body, berries and tar
>>>
>>>Ravenswood 2002 Monte Bello
>>>nose: berries and pepper
>>>palate: rich, red berry fruit, decent acidity, oak, medium-full body
>>>
>>>The treat here was being served the wine by none other than Joel
>>>Peterson, founder, winemaker and erstwhile owner of Ravenswood. As I
>>>have a number of Ravenswood Monte Rossos in my cellar, I was curious to
>>>see how the '94 had evolved. And who says Zin can't age? Both wines were
>>>very nice, if a bit lighter than I had expected."
>>>
>>>You mention Monte Bello in the description of both wines, but Monte
>>>Rosso in your discussion that follows. I have only seen Ridge Monte
>>>Bello Zinfandel, but I have not been keeping up with recent Ravenswood
>>>wines. Does Ravenswood also now produce a Monte Bello, or is there a
>>>typo?
>>
>>
>> My comment exactly! Ravenswood Monte Bello?
>
>Yes, my bad! I of course meant Monte Rosso, the old Louis Martini
>vineyard, but for some reason it came out Monte Bello (no doubt wishful
>thinking!)
>
>Mark Lipton

Don't feel bad. I read Cwdjrx' reply and saw Monte Rosso! Duh. Hey, what's one
Monte v another to a bunch of winos?

Hunt. heading off to remedial reading classes right now!

Hunt wrote:

> I've got Ridge, Ravenswood, Rosenblum and Steven Ross Monte Rossos. All have
> been great Zins.

It's a great vineyard. Robert Biale also makes a Monte Rosso (hey, I
got it right this time!) Zin which is quite excellent. I intend before
too long to do a head-to-head tasting of the '95 Monte Rosso Zins from
Biale and Ravenswood, the results of which ought to find their way here...

Mark Lipton

Rosenblum does a Monte Rosso also that was quite good also.


"Mark Lipton" > wrote in message
...
> Ed Rasimus wrote:
>> On Sat, 29 Jan 2005 02:37:38 -0600, (Cwdjrx _)
>> wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Mark Lipton states in part:
>>>
>>>"Ravenswood 1994 Monte Bello color: brick with orange at the rim
>>>nose: cedar, smoke, red fruit
>>>palate: acidic on entry, medium-full body, berries and tar
>>>
>>>Ravenswood 2002 Monte Bello nose: berries and pepper
>>>palate: rich, red berry fruit, decent acidity, oak, medium-full body
>>>
>>>The treat here was being served the wine by none other than Joel
>>>Peterson, founder, winemaker and erstwhile owner of Ravenswood. As I
>>>have a number of Ravenswood Monte Rossos in my cellar, I was curious to
>>>see how the '94 had evolved. And who says Zin can't age? Both wines were
>>>very nice, if a bit lighter than I had expected."
>>>
>>>You mention Monte Bello in the description of both wines, but Monte
>>>Rosso in your discussion that follows. I have only seen Ridge Monte
>>>Bello Zinfandel, but I have not been keeping up with recent Ravenswood
>>>wines. Does Ravenswood also now produce a Monte Bello, or is there a
>>>typo?
>>
>>
>> My comment exactly! Ravenswood Monte Bello?
>
> Yes, my bad! I of course meant Monte Rosso, the old Louis Martini
> vineyard, but for some reason it came out Monte Bello (no doubt wishful
> thinking!)
>
> Mark Lipton

In article >, says...
>
>Hunt wrote:
>
>> I've got Ridge, Ravenswood, Rosenblum and Steven Ross Monte Rossos. All
have
>> been great Zins.
>
>It's a great vineyard. Robert Biale also makes a Monte Rosso (hey, I
>got it right this time!) Zin which is quite excellent. I intend before
>too long to do a head-to-head tasting of the '95 Monte Rosso Zins from
>Biale and Ravenswood, the results of which ought to find their way here...
>
>Mark Lipton

Sounds like a "plan." I have not tasted Biale's Monte russo, but also have
several other producer's Zins from that vineyard. I've nailed some of Biale's
single-vineyard Zins, and will definitely be on the lookout for his MR.

Hope you are enjoying CA - sure sounds like it. Now, if I can only get my MB's
and MR's correct... nah, that's asking too much from my alcohol addeled brain!

Hunt

Emilio,
Thanks for the report on the flights tasting. I did like the sound
of that event, too, but with a small baby one must choose one's
opportunities carefully. Nice notes, BTW.

Mark Lipton

In article >,
says...
>
>I went to Zap "Flights" instead of food and wine tasting.
>
>Peter Granoff of Ferry Plaza Wine Merchants in San Francisco was the
>moderator for this event.
>They had four flights of four wines with different "themes" for each flight.
>
>1st Flight: Out of the Barrel The 2004 Zinfandel Vintage
>Robert Biale Vineyards Aldo's Vineyard" Napa Valley
>Peachy Canyon Winery Mustang springs ranch, Paso Robles
>Ridge Vineyards Lytton springs, Dry Creek
>Tres Sabores, Rutherford, Napa Valley
>I am a very inexperienced taster and these were all basically barrel
>samples. The Ridge was the one further along while in my opinion the Tres
>Sabores still had some residual sugar. The first two were just way too
>yeasty and I could not see where they were going at all.
>Robert Biale, Doug Beckett, Paul Draper and Julie Johnson were the panel;
>they all said 2004 is going to be a great vintage for zin (surprise!).
>Highlight of the flight was Julie Johnson falling off her chair from the
>podium. This was only the first flight so the podium was removed as a
>precaution.
>
>2nd Flight: Zinfandel Style Taste the Range
>Boeger Winery, 2002 Old Clone Zin, "Estate bottled, El Dorado
>D-Cubed Cellars, 2002 Howell Mountain Zin, Napa Valley
>Mara Winery, Dolinsek Ranch, Russian River Valley
>Rosenblum Cellars, 2002 Annette's reserve Zin, Redwood Valley
>Mara's wine was the most distinct wine of the flight; much darker than the
>others but in my opinion with too much pepper flavor on the nose and on the
>palate. My favorite was the Rosenblum for balance.
>Justin Boeger, Duane Dappen, Charles Mara and Kent Rosenblum talked about
>what they do to achieve their style (cold soaks, yields per acre, yeast
>choice etc.)
>
>Old Vine Zinfandel Myth and Reality
>Edmeades Winery 2002 Zin, Ciapusci vineyard, Mendocino ridge
>Rancho Zabaco Winery, 2003 Toreador Zin, Monte Rosso vineyard, Sonoma Valley
>Saxon Brown, 2001 Cas Santimaria, "Old Vine", Sonoma Valley
>Storybook Mountain Vineyards, 2001 Estate reserve Zin
>I thought Storybook's wine could have been the best but it was overoaked;
>this is my humble opinion and I would like to point out that in general I do
>not like oak. This could be a very good wine for others. I thought Saxon's
>wine had the best balance of the flight.
>Van Williamson, Eric Cinnamon, Jeff Gaffner and Dr. J. Bernard Seps talked
>about the age of the vines that produced these wines and why the believe
>older vines produce superior wines.
>
>Vineyard Blends vs. Single Vineyards Personality Profiles
>Bourassa Vineyards 2003 Odyssey Zin, Napa Valley (blend)
>Macchia, 2003 Zin "Adventurous", Linsteadt vineyard, Amador county
>Marr Cellars 2003 Mattern ranch, County old vine Zin, Mendocino
>Ravenswood 2001 Old Hill Zin, Sonoma Valley
>The Ravenswood was in my opinion the best wine of the night. Great structure
>and balance and I think long aging potential. The Bourassa blend was pretty
>interesting as well while I thought the Macchia was good on the nose but was
>a bit too sweet for my taste.
>Vic Bourassa, Tim Holdener, Bob Marr and Joel Peterson discussed the merits
>of single vineyards. Vic Bourassa is totally into blending and defended his
>position strongly.
>
>All the panelists are very much into Zin. It was good to hear people who are
>passionate about this type of wine.
>Personally I think zin can produce very good wine but I will say I prefer
>the more subdued balanced understated zins over some of the fruit bombs that
>might have made the wine famous.
>
>E
>01/26/05 Zap "Flights"
>
>Someone asked for a post on ZAP so here it goes.
>Peter Granoff of Ferry Plaza Wine Merchants in San Francisco was the
>moderator for this event.
>
>1st Flight: Out of the Barrel The 2004 Zinfandel Vintage
>Robert Biale Vineyards Aldo's Vineyard" Napa Valley
>Peachy Canyon Winery Mustang springs ranch, Paso Robles
>Ridge Vineyards Lytton springs, Dry Creek
>Tres Sabores, Rutherford, Napa Valley
>I am a very inexperienced taster and these were all basically barrel
>samples. The Ridge was the one further along while in my opinion the Tres
>Sabores still had some residual sugar. The first two were just way too
>yeasty and I could not see where they were going at all.
>Robert Biale, Doug Beckett, Paul Draper and Julie Johnson were the panel;
>they all said 2004 is going to be a great vintage for zin (surprise!).
>Highlight of the flight was Julie Johnson falling off her chair from the
>podium. This was only the first flight so the podium was removed as a
>precaution.
>
>2nd Flight: Zinfandel Style Taste the Range
>Boeger Winery, 2002 Old Clone Zin, "Estate bottled, El Dorado
>D-Cubed Cellars, 2002 Howell Mountain Zin, Napa Valley
>Mara Winery, Dolinsek Ranch, Russian River Valley
>Rosenblum Cellars, 2002 Annette's reserve Zin, Redwood Valley
>Mara's wine was the most distinct wine of the flight; much darker than the
>others but in my opinion with too much pepper flavor on the nose and on the
>palate. My favorite was the Rosenblum for balance.
>Justin Boeger, Duane Dappen, Charles Mara and Kent Rosenblum talked about
>what they do to achieve their style (cold soaks, yields per acre, yeast
>choice etc.)
>
>Old Vine Zinfandel Myth and Reality
>Edmeades Winery 2002 Zin, Ciapusci vineyard, Mendocino ridge
>Rancho Zabaco Winery, 2003 Toreador Zin, Monte Rosso vineyard, Sonoma Valley
>Saxon Brown, 2001 Cas Santimaria, "Old Vine", Sonoma Valley
>Storybook Mountain Vineyards, 2001 Estate reserve Zin
>I thought Storybook's wine could have been the best but it was overoaked;
>this is my humble opinion and I would like to point out that in general I do
>not like oak. This could be a very good wine for others. I thought Saxon's
>wine had the best balance of the flight.
>Van Williamson, Eric Cinnamon, Jeff Gaffner and Dr. J. Bernard Seps talked
>about the age of the vines that produced these wines and why the believe
>older vines produce superior wines.
>
>Vineyard Blends vs. Single Vineyards Personality Profiles
>Bourassa Vineyards 2003 Odyssey Zin, Napa Valley (blend)
>Macchia, 2003 Zin "Adventurous", Linsteadt vineyard, Amador county
>Marr Cellars 2003 Mattern ranch, County old vine Zin, Mendocino
>Ravenswood 2001 Old Hill Zin, Sonoma Valley
>The Ravenswood was in my opinion the best wine of the night. Great structure
>and balance and I think long aging potential. The Bourassa blend was pretty
>interesting as well while I thought the Macchia was good on the nose but was
>a bit too sweet for my taste.
>Vic Bourassa, Tim Holdener, Bob Marr and Joel Peterson discussed the merits
>of single vineyards. Vic Bourassa is totally into blending and defended his
>position strongly.
>
>All the panelists are very much into Zin. It was good to hear people who are
>passionate about this type of wine.
>Personally I think zin can produce very good wine but I will say I prefer
>the more subdued balanced understated zins over some of the fruit bombs that
>might have made the wine famous.
>
>E

You guys are KILLING me. Not only did I miss ZAP, but had to decline Peter's
invite for the flights!!!!! Dang, if I had not had to be an "attending spouse"
in Las Vegas, I would have been there. Oh well, there is always next year -
sigh.

Hunt