Desert Wines and Spirits

Saturday, November 21, 2009

4 to 6 pm

$5.00 per person

Home of: ExecutiveGiftService.com

611 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Suite #1, Palm Springs, 92264,

760-327-7701, 800-925-0030

With Thanksgiving Day less than a week away, we invited Ian Dealhey of Robert Oatley Vineyards to join us for a pouring of fine wines that will pair well with a turkey dinner, or for entertaining over the holiday weekend, or, for that matter, enjoying at home with a meal at any time. All are under $20.00 and represent a great price to quality value ratio. Bob Oatley is a proud and passionate Australian who is credited with pioneering Australian wine to the rest of the world. He owned Rosemount Estate, for several decades the most recognized and successful family-owned Australian winery. After selling off the Rosemount Estate, Bob looked around for something new to do and guess what? He started a new winery. In 2006, the family purchased the historic Craigmoor property on the outskirts of the Mudgee township in New South Wales. The old winery, now a tasting room and visitor center, was established in 1858. The surrounding vineyards grow some of the finest grapes in the region, all of which are in the capable hands of Sandy, his eldest son.

2008 Robert Oatley Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc

List price 14.95; our price 10.99

This delightfully zesty, tropical flavored white wine is devoid of any oak influence. The development of tropical fruit flavors rather than Sauvignon’s often dominant grassy notes imply cool-fermentation in stainless steel. Most of the wine was racked leaving some portions on the lees to add structure, texture and additional palate weight. The wine is lean and fresh, enlivened by crisp acidity, and offering notes of peach, kiwi and mango with highlights of lime and grapefruit.

2008 Robert Oatley Vineyards Pinot Grigio

List price 14.95; our price 10.99

This wine is medium bodied and crisp, somewhere between Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, without a trace of oak to interfere with the spicy aromas and ripe apple and pear flavors. There’s plenty of acidity here for pairing with saltier foods and enough body and fruit to stand up to richer light meat dishes.

2007 Robert Oatley Vineyards Chardonnay

List price 15.95; our price 11.99

A variety of winemaking regimes were employed to produce a complex, yet fruit driven style. The fruit was grown on Oatley family vineyards and harvested at optimum ripeness. Half of the blend was cold fermented in stainless steel, and the remainder barrel fermented then aged in one-third brand new French oak. Much of the blend underwent a secondary fermentation that softened the wine’s acidity, leaving us to enjoy a delicious creamy texture.

2008 Robert Oatley Vineyards Rosé of Sangiovese

List price 13.50; our price 9.99

The blend for this rosé is 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon. It was produced in the ’saignée’ method of making rosé, where the wine is drained off the skins after only a short period of contact, producing a pink rather than red wine. It was deliberately made at the drier end of the spectrum for rosé, but with fresh wild strawberry aromas and a hint of leafy greenness. The flavors are cherry and stone fruit with big chewy berry fruit. It is an excellent value, in an excellent style that will please red wine drinkers.

2007 Robert Oatley Vineyards Shiraz

List price 19.99; our price 17.99

This is a fine display of the dense flavors of the varietal, offering candied cherry and blackberry on the nose with complex earth and spice notes. The deep dark fruit flavors are brightened by a zesty mineral note. It shows a wonderful balance and complexity with relatively low alcohol and good balancing acidity. There is a subtle smokiness but the wine finishes with inviting sweetness and straightforward, slightly jammy, dark berry flavors.

2007 Robert Oatley Vineyards Cabernet Merlot

List price 19.99; our price 17.99

This blend of 51% Cabernet and 49% Merlot is matured for 12 months in French oak barrels. The nose of this wine is filled with bright red cherry notes and a hint of vanilla. In the mouth it shows earthy herbal accents combined with ripe blackberry and toasted oak, some black pepper and hints of sour cherry. The tannins are nicely integrated and there is sufficient fruit to carry the wine through to a long, lush, mouth-filling finish. Delicious now, it will reward additional aging.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

4 to 6 pm

$5.00 per person

Home of: ExecutiveGiftService.com

611 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Suite #1, Palm Springs, 92264,

760-327-7701, 800-925-0030

Thanksgiving Day is two weeks away, so it behooves us to be sampling wines that will partner well with a turkey dinner. This Saturday we will be pouring imported wines that are newly arrived or resupplied this past week. They are very forward and drinking well now. All are under $10.00 and would function well as party service. It’s nice to have alternate choices from the mainstream wines and still enjoy a great price-to-quality value ratio. There are richer and more complex wines available here to go with a turkey dinner, but for larger groups price becomes a consideration.Next week we will sample the wines of Robert Oatley Winery of Australia.

Villa Sandi Prosecco, Veneto, Italy

List price 12.95; our price 9.99

Villa Sandi is an exquisite Palladian-style villa dating back to 1622, located at the foot of the Marca Trevigiana hills, in the Veneto region and represents the combination of art and agriculture which has characterized the Venetian landscape for centuries. This Prosecco is an ideal accompaniment for a variety of cuisines and courses. Whether served as an apèritif, or at the end of a meal, or any course in between, the natural acidity and fresh taste lightly compliments, but never over-powers, a meal. This elegant sparkler achieves a nice balance between sweet, fruit flavors and lively crispness. Look for peach, pear, jasmine, grapefruit and stone that characterize the fruit with a bit of almond bitterness at the finish.

2008 Indaba Chardonnay, South Africa

List price 9.95; our price 8.99

Indaba refers to the traditional Zulu forum for sharing ideas and, frankly, this Chard is a good idea. It is a medium-bodied wine with pear and pineapple aromas, yielding to hints of butterscotch, honey, orange peel and lemons. Its good acidity (no malolactic secondary fermentation took place) marries well with the oak component culminating in a long, clean finish.

2007 Chateau Saint-Florin Rosé, Bordeaux, France

List price 12.00; our price 9.99

The blend for this rosé is 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon. The grapes were crushed and left in stainless steel tanks for 24 hours allowing the juice to continue to “steep” with the grapes before fermentation. This wonderful extract is given a slow fermentation of up to 3 weeks at cool temperatures to enhance flavor and aromatic qualities. After another 3 weeks of sitting on the lees with occasional stirring the wine transcends to strawberry and raspberry fruit that remains dry.

2006 Chateau Trocard Bordeaux Superieur, France

List price 14.00; our price 9.99

This winery near Lalande-de-Pomerol has been owned by the Trocard family since the 16th century. Jean- Louis Trocard took over from his father, Jean in 1991. The family’s holdings have gradually expanded to 220 acres which Jean-Louis runs with the help of his wife, Elisabeth. The blend is 70% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, comprising a wine that is produced in the traditional method that remains so very French. The wine is soft and displays an excellent balance.

2008 Bodega Norton Cabernet Sauvignon, Argentina

List price 11.00; our price 8.99

This Mendoza area wine is produced in the traditional, 8-day fermentation period with native yeast, maceration for 20 days, and natural malolactic fermentation. It is aged for 12 months in French oak barrels to produce a round, concentrated wine with a sweet tannin texture and a long harmonious finish in the mouth. Look for red and black fruit, cherries, and spicy notes.

2005 Bodegas Aresan Librato, La Mancha Spain

List price 14.00; our price 9.99

In the 1980s, Don Aurelio Arenas and his wife, Maria Dolores Sanchez, bought 125 acres of vineyards in the La Mancha region. After some success with their first bottlings, they were encouraged in their efforts and began to buy more property which has grown today to 425 acres of vineyards, with 16 different varieties of grapes planted. Their son, Aurelio Arenas Sanchez, Jr., is the chief winemaker and his success is in the bottle. This wine has a vivid, cherry red color and a complex, aromatic nose full of ripe fruit compote, with hints of spice and minerals. Light notes of dark-roasted coffee appear that balance well with the fruit on the palate. Round tannins and toasted oak notes follow through to the lingering finish. It is a well-balanced, fresh and tasty Spanish blend.

Saturday, November 7, 2009

4 to 6 pm

$5.00 per person

Home of: ExecutiveGiftService.com

611 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Suite #1, Palm Springs, 92264,

760-327-7701, 800-925-0030

Thanksgiving Day is three weeks away, believe it or not, and we should start now sampling wines that will partner well with a turkey dinner. This Saturday we will be pouring California wines that have arrived this past week. They are very forward and drinking well now. All are under $10.00 and would function well as party service. Of course, there are more complex, even voluptuous, wines available here to go with a turkey dinner, but price becomes a consideration. Next week we will look at imports in the same price range and the following week we will sample the wines of Robert Oatley Winery of Australia.

2008 Valley of the Moon Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast

List price 11.95; our price 9.99

The fruit for this wine comes from select vineyards within the Sonoma Coast region, including the Russian River Valley, Carneros and the southern Sonoma Valley. These cool-climate appellations are characterized by foggy mornings and cool breezes that keep the fruit at an optimum temperature: perfect conditions for growing premium Chardonnay grapes. The fruit for this wine was whole-cluster pressed and fermented in French oak barrels and stainless steel tanks. The wine was allowed to age “sur lies” for seven months with a portion of the wine undergoing malolactic fermentation. Aromas of pear, citrus and vanilla are followed by flavors of green apple, lime and clove spice. The rich and creamy texture is accented by hints of honey and toasty oak, and balanced with a bright finish of zesty citrus and nectarine.

2008 Alexander Valley Vineyards New Gewurz, Mendocino Co.

List price 9.99; our price 5.99

The wonderful crispness and bright fruit make this Gewurtztraminer a versatile wine. Not only is it a great sipper, but it is perfect as an aperitif. It pairs well with a variety of dishes, from spicy Asian fare to Dungeness crab to Thanksgiving turkey. It won a Gold Medal at the 2009 Orange County Fair Wine Competition. The price makes it exceptional.

2005 Mazzocco Winery Merlot, Sonoma County

List price 18.00; our price 9.99

This is a small family-owned artisan winery situated in the rolling hills of Sonoma County, nestled between the Dry Creek and Alexander Valleys. This Merlot blend of 76% Merlot & 24% Cabernet Sauvignon does not disappoint. Sweet cassis, violets and cherry jam lead to licorice and mocha flavors over a rich, extracted palate. The big tannins are integrated with a fruit forward core, containing roasted oak with hints of cacao, and camphor in the finish.

2006 Red Rock Winery Merlot, California

List price 9.99; our price 7.99

The aroma of this merlot is fruity raspberry and cherry. The taste is dark cherry, plum and raspberry. The tannins are actually toned down by the fruit, so the wine is actually well-balanced. It is wonderful for casual drinking or to accompany a variety of food items such as pasta, pizza, and grilled chicken. A nice beef stew would probably go really well, too. This wine is not about complexity, it’s about quality: quality fruit & quality winemaking.

2005 Mazzocco Winery Zinfandel, Sonoma County

List price 18.00; our price 9.99

Mazzocco is especially known for its vineyard-designate Zinfandels—each robust and sumptuous yet individual in nature. Today we are trying the Sonoma blend which is fruit-forward with a splash of spice. Black cherry jam, raspberry and plums permeate the nose while the palate reveals allspice and cayenne pepper with dabs of blackberry. This 100% Zinfandel’s core is framed with supple tannins, and is accented with nougat and vanilla.

2007 Apothic Red, Winemaker’s Blend, California

List price 14.00; our price 9.99

This is a blend of three grapes, combining the dark fruit flavors of Syrah, brambly spice of Zinfandel, and smooth elegance of Merlot. The wine reveals intense fruit aromas and flavors of blackberry and dark cherry layered with hints of mocha, chocolate and brown spice. The plush, velvety mouthfeel and smooth finish round out this intriguing, full-bodied red blend. At this price it delivers considerable value.

Saturday, November 22, 2008
4 to 6 pm

$5.00 per person
       Home of: ExecutiveGiftService.com
611 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Suite #1, Palm Springs, 92264,
760-327-7701, 800-925-0030

This Saturday we will be visited by Corina Vandever from importer Southern Starz from whom we buy quite a lot of wine.  The reason is quite simple: they bring in lots of good stuff.  With her will be George Gee of TGIC Imports who represents the Southern Starz portfolio in California.  Our southern hemisphere tour will take us to New Zealand, Chile, Australia and South Africa.  All of these wines are truly exceptional.

2008 Sherwood Estate Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand
13.99
The fruit was harvested in the cool of the night and transported to the winery where only the free run and light pressed juice was used.  It was cool fermented for an average of 19 days, then left for an extended three month period of contact with the yeast lees.  The wine is fresh, offering up lively gooseberry and passion fruit aromas with a touch of cut grass.  The palate is rich and concentrated with a beautiful long finish.

2008 Montes Syrah Rosé “Cherub” Chile
9.99 (Sat. only: Buy 6 get 1 FREE)
After several years of experimentation, Aurelio Montes settled on producing a rosé from Syrah, a grape he made famous in Chile with the country’s first-ever Ultra Premium 100% Syrah called Montes’ Folly in 2002.  The wine follows a process of cold maceration where the must is left in contact with the skins overnight (for approximately eight hours) to fully extract color and aromas and infuse the wine with flavor.  Once the juice was racked until totally clear, it underwent alcoholic fermentation using selected yeast at 50º F for 20 days.  On the nose and the palate, it demonstrates a distinctive Syrah character with spiciness and hints of strawberries, rose and orange peel.  With good fruit concentration, it shows richness in texture across the palate that leads to a delightfully long finish.  It has a strong backbone of acidity and a slight amount of tannin that gives the wine a defined structure.

2005 Flinders Run Shiraz, Australia
29.50
This wine has received some serious accolades (albeit somewhat obscure):
95 pts Robert Parker, the Wine Advocate #173
Purple/black in color, the wine exhibits a big, brooding bouquet of pain grillé, pepper, Asian spices, blueberry, blackberry, and licorice. This leads to a full-bodied (15.2% alcohol), super-rich, plush wine with layers of spicy black fruit flavors, excellent balance, and a long, pure finish. For a wine of this size, it is remarkably light on its feet.
92 pts Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar 2007
Glass-staining ruby. Explosively perfumed nose offers a surreal array of dark fruits, oak spices, flowers and minerals. Fat but focused, with intense, spicy blackberry, cassis and floral pastille flavors. Gentle tannins add structure but can’t contain the wine’s expansive, sweet personality. Gains strength on the long, sappy finish. This has enormous immediate appeal.
91 pts Wine Spectator Web 12/21/07
Dense and peppery. A lively mouthful of dark-hued fruit and spice, lingering on the clear, focused, juicy finish. Fine tannins frame this nicely. Best from 2009 through 2015. 2,000 cases made.

2005 Black Pearl Vineyards, Oro, Paarl, South Africa
17.50
The name of the blend “Oro” comes from the God Oro, King of the Firmament, who gave the black pearl as a gift to the ocean. The vineyard is situated on the slopes of Paarl Mountain, and, after it has rained, Paarl Rock resembles a black pearl.  The blend is Shiraz (57%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (43%).  This is a rich wine with hints of clove and spices; plum, dark berries and licorice flavors. 

2007 Tait Winery “The Ball Buster”, Australia
17.50
The age of the vineyards that make up the 2007 Ball Buster Blend vary between 7 and 40 years.  Deep Black Purple. Intense aromas of blackcurrant, stewed plums, cherry, and chocolate. Full bodied berry palate with a sweet long lasting finish.  It received a 90-point rating from Stephen Tanzer International Wine Cellar just arriving on Wednesday at TGIF.

NV R.L. Buller & Son Muscat, Australia
14.75/375 ml
You can’t get too much better than a 97-point rating from Robert Parker, of The Wine Advocate: “This wine is nearly flawless. Fabulously perfumed as well as unctuously textured, it offers incredible notes of prunes, raisins, honey, molasses, roasted nuts, etc., etc. Australia continues to be a treasure trove for fortified, after-dinner wines. Once bottled, they do not change, and often age up to a decade where well stored. After opening, most will last for a week. This is one of the top wine discoveries of this year’s tastings. Many consumers are going to be overjoyed with this offering.”

Saturday, November 15, 2008
4 to 6 pm

$5.00 per person
       Home of: ExecutiveGiftService.com
611 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Suite #1, Palm Springs, 92264
760-327-7701, 800-925-0030

This Saturday we will be visited by Garvey Daniels from American Wines & Spirits to be led through a tasting of wines that are  perfectly suitable for November entertaining.  You might even find the perfect Thanksgiving wine among the pearls listed below.  All offer value at their price point and plenty of pleasure at your table.  At least, It won’t hurt you to try, and your enjoyment if guaranteed.

NV Taltarni Brut Taché Sparkling Wine, Australia
14.95
This import of Clos du Val of Napa Valley is a great all-purpose wine.  Taché is a French word meaning ’stained’, referring to the pale salmon color of this enticing sparkling wine.  The Chardonnay (52%), Pinot Noir (41%) and Pinot Meunier (7%) grapes are estate grown at Taltarni and Clover Hill, Tasmania.  The grapes are picked at night to retain freshness and acidity.  Specially selected Pinot Noir or Malbec is added to ‘taché’ the wine after disgorgement, resulting in a zesty sparkling wine of rosy hue and a refined freshness.  Disgorgement is after a minimum of 18 months on lees in its original bottle.

2008 Yellow Tail Pinot Grigio, Australia
5.95
The ubiquitous Yellow Tail Winery makes a perfectly serviceable Pinot Grigio in the light and dry style.  As is typical of the varietal there are flavors of pears and green apples with a touch of minerality.  It is clean, crisp and refreshing…and
cheap.

2006 Wolfgang Vineyards Gruner Veltliner “Concerto”, Austria
13.99
The Celts settled in the Austria’s Burgenland around 700 BC, and proceeded forthwith to make wine, for use in their rituals and for daily consumption.  They began to develop sophisticated wine-making techniques which moreover improved when the Romans invaded present day Austria in the 1st century BC.  World War II made a hash of the vineyards there, but all is fine now.  This grape shows expressive fruit with typical pepper and grapefruit notes.�
It can be rendered in a light style or in a rich and flavorful style not unlike Chardonnay, without all the wood.   This is a favorite among Austrians, unless you wave a tankard of beer before them.

2007 Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc/Viognier, Napa
9.99
This wine scored 90 points in the Wine Advocate’s “Value Issue”: “2007 Chenin Blanc/Viognier is a perfumed beauty, (flowers, melons, tropical fruits), medium-bodied, super pure, with no oak and a dry, crisp finish.  Drink it over the next year.” (08/08).  I particularly like the flora and sweet exotic lychee fruit which is beautifully balanced with subtle citrus aromas.  It is bright on the palate with fresh pear and citrus flavors being framed by clean, refreshing acidity.  The wine’s off-dry style lends a touch of sweetness to the otherwise grapefruit-kissed, crisp finish.

2006 Saddlerock Chardonnay, Central Coast
9.99
Although we tasted this wine recently we are revisiting it because Garvey really likes it.  This wine is pale gold in color, with hints of apples and tropical fruits fused with floral notes of honeysuckle and lemon blossom.  Ask for his special deal.

2006 Taltarni Cabernet/Merlot “Three Monks”, Australia
14.95
The blend for this wine is Cabernet Sauvignon (55%), Merlot (44%) and Petit Verdot (1%).  It displays classic black fruit and forest floor varietal characters complemented by soft, mocha oak flavors.  The long, fruit driven palate and firm, ripe tannins make this an ideal wine for drinking now or for aging for two to three years. 

2007 Layer Cake Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa
24.95
This wine shows blackberry, cassis, violets, cedar, tobacco, and hints of minerals and graphite.  It is sweet, densely packed and creamy in the mouth, but with firm, underlying structure that gives lift to the dark berry, chocolate, and coffee flavors.  This is a very lush, soft, complex wine that coats the palate and spreads out on the long, lingering finish.

Saturday, November 8, 2008
4 to 6 pm

$5.00 per person

       Home of: ExecutiveGiftService.com
611 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Suite #1, Palm Springs, 92264,
760-327-7701, 800-925-0030

This Saturday we will be tasting a cross section of wine varietals that would fit very nicely into your entertainment needs.  At this time we are thinking “Thanksgiving dinner”, but today’s wines would enhance any offering to your guests and family.  You might even think of enhancing your own pleasure. 

2006 Saddlerock Chardonnay, Central Coast
9.99
The Semler family owns the 1000 acre Saddlerock Ranch in the Santa Monica Mountains.  This Chardonnay is from their Malibu Family Wines offering which is produced in Santa Maria.  This wine is pale gold in color, with hints of apples and tropical fruits fused with floral notes of honeysuckle and lemon blossom.

2007 Zilliken Riesling “Butterfly”, Saar Valley, Germany
22.50
The Zilliken family of winemakers goes back over 250 years producing wines mostly from their Saarburger Vineyards.  The wine is medium dry and focuses on apple and pear fruit.  The fruity elements are held in check by the steely minerality that is typical of the area.

2007 Schnaitmann Rosé “Evoe!”, Wurttemberg, Germany
17.50
This dry rosé is absolutely lovely.  It is a blend of Pinot Noir and Trollinger grapes which give it a rich mouth feel.  Besides the full flavored berry character there is a complexity created by the interplay of spices and herbs, including a hint of cinnamon.

2005 Trentadue Red Wine “Old Patch Red”, Sonoma
11.95
Leo and Evelyn Trentadue have been making wine in Geyserville forever, it seems…and doing a fine job.  The blend here is Zinfandel (70%), Petite Sirah (20%), Carignane (5.5%) and Syrah (4.5%).  Trentadue offers this as a “bistro” style wine leaning towards the jammy berry end of the spectrum.  There is a plumy character that yields to black cherries and is enhanced by pepper and other spices.  The Sonoma County Harvest Fair presented this wine a gold medal and “Best of Class” award.

2006 Kaiken Cabernet Sauvignon “Ultra”, Argentina
17.99
The Montez Winery of Chile has a sister winery in Argentina producing most exceptional wines.  Their regular Cabs and Malbecs are excellent values, but the “ultras” are amazing.  This wine has a deep ruby red color, while showcasing red fruit flavors with spices and cedar notes.  There is considerable elegance and complexity on the nose, owing largely to the French oak in which most of it is aged.  In the mouth there is a unique combination between the Cab’s intensity, given by the old vines some 50 years of age, combined with the silkiness of the tannins.  Could age at least 10 years.

2003 Krohn Port L.B.V., Portugal
17.99
The time for delving into Ports is upon us.  This is a fine rich Tawny aged 4 years in cask and bottled in 2007.  Krohn’s LBV Ports are neither fined nor filtered and may thus throw some sediment.  You may want to decant them before serving, just to be on the safe side, or pour very carefully after opening.  This 2003 is an affordable, fruity wine to drink after a meal with cheese, nuts and all types of melon and berries, or just to sit, sip and savor.  It is really good.

Saturday, November 17, 2007

4 to 6 pm

$5.00 per person

Home of: ExecutiveGiftService.com

611 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Suite #1, Palm Springs, 327-7701

Most people think of Beaujolais Nouveaux for an accompaniment to that Thanksgiving meal less than a week away. Take that thought one step further and consider Zinfandel. I do serve at least one Zin with that annual full-blown meal, but have hesitated in recommending it to my customers. No more; the November issue of Bon Appetit included an article supporting this view: “this bright, juicy wine, laden with berry flavors and enhanced with a smidgen of sweetness, is the correct wine for Thanksgiving fare.” While not in total agreement with all that was said in the article, I do believe the message is timely and, therefore, so is our tasting event.

2003 Napa Cellars Zinfandel, Napa Valley
$17.95

This is the perfect middle ground between the spicy Zinfandels of the Sierra Foothills and the fruity jammy Zinfandels of Sonoma. Both characteristics can be found in moderation with this wine. You can expect a swirl of the glass to reveal sweet ripe berries and black pepper spice with elements of sun-baked earth. The entry is sweet, displaying hints of raspberry and chocolate, but well balanced with sufficient acid and a little pepper at the front. It is full bodied with complex flavors and a smooth finish. This winery was originally owned by Rombauer and Frank Family but was recently sold to the Trinchero family of Napa Valley. Alcohol 14.5%

2005 Jake-Ryan Cellars Zinfandel, Mt. Veeder, Napa
$25.00

This Bald Mountain Vineyard Zin from Mt. Veeder is bursting with aromas of cherry, raspberry and blackberry, with some integrated caramel and vanilla notes. In the mouth, the flavors are ripe cherry, rhubarb, and blackberry preserves. Cedar and spice characteristics add a punch of complexity and personality. Alcohol 14.5%

2004 Wine Guerrilla Zinfandel, Dry Creek, Sonoma
$25.00

This wine comes to us from a negociant who over the years has espyed the best vineyard sources in Sonoma County and made deals to secure fruit from these growers to vinify and blend the small batches he produces. Though mostly Zin, there are small amounts of Petite Sirah, Carignan, Cabernet Sauvignon, Mourvedre, Barbera and Touriga in the succulent blend. Produced at the David Coffaro Winery in Geyserville. Alcohol 14.8%

2004 Tin Barn Vineyards Zinfandel, Russian River Valley
$17.95

The grapes for this bottling are sourced from the Gilsson Vineyard, a 35 year old vineyard near Windsor, in Sonoma County. Tin Barn Vineyards is a collaborative effort of winemaker Michael Lancaster and his two partners, Gray Fowler and Carl Stewart. This deep dark red colored wine shows forward raspberry and cherry fruit and a long, seductive finish topped off with a hint of vanilla and toast from the new American oak barrels used for aging. Alcohol 15.2%

2005 Opolo Vineyards Zinfandel, Summit Creek, Paso Robles
$17.95

Opolo Vineyards comprises 270 acres of vineyards in both the Westside and Eastside areas of Paso Robles. Owners Rick Quinn and David Nichols have chosen to produce opulent wines that are rich and highly extracted. That goes for all the varietals they produce which seem to come from the bigger-is-better school of thought. Not for everybody, this big Zin has a sweet entry that will stand up to any cranberry preparation on your plate. It is resplendent in ripe black cherry, raspberry and spice and is framed by soft tannins and balanced acidity. Alcohol 16.5%

n.v. Chateau Potelle “Zinie de Potelle” Desert Zinfandel
$12.99

This late harvest Zinfandel is sweet, at 6.5% residual sugar, but with a lot of vigor, strength and character. It is a delicious Port-style wine made from dry-farmed, old vine grapes, fermented and aged 18 months in French oak. It has sweet cherry and wild berry fruit with chocolate undertones. It displays deep aromas and is very smooth and elegant in the mouth with underlying hints of nutmeg and cinnamon. The name Zinie comes from the Potelle’s dog, and here I thought it was a diminutive for Zinfandel.