Wine: 2019 Zinfandel (Lodi, CA)
Winery: American Vintners
Cheese: Applewood (again)
For the fifth day of Advent, we have the 2019 Zinfandel. I wish I had thought of taking a picture of the wine in my glass before tasting it. Most wines are clear but for some reason this Zinfandel really stood out to me in appearance. It looks lovely, a deep shade of ruby, like a liquid jewel. Now I’m definitely kicking myself for not photographing it in the glass.
The nose is delightful as well, surprisingly lively with notes of cherry, raspberry, strawberry and plum, with cola and spice rounding it out.
When it comes to tasting, the notes say that the essence of a good Zinfandel is a balance of spice, plums and “earthiness”. This Zinfandel does a good job with that I tasted pepper, coffee and a hint of cinnamon in the wine, supported by an earthy, almost mushroomy taste. The latter is supported by the tannins, which are rather aggressive, but that’s the case for most Zins. I enjoyed the fruitiness of this Zin, however. Among the ripe cherries and strawberries I also tasted a hint of dark raspberry and blackberry flavors which serve as a counterpoint to the stern structure below. The finish is soft, marred a touch by the bitterness of alcohol but the first and middle are very nice. Overall I gave this wine a 3.5 (A-), a solid Zinfandel.
For the cheese, they gave us another Applewood. I talked about this cheese on Day 2, so you can look it up there if you’re curious. It’s one of my fave cheeses so far of the set, but I am hoping Day 6 will have something different and not just another repeat!
Ed's Wineglass Adventures 