Zinfandel Challenge Overview

After spending last month in Argentina and France (or at least in Argentinian and French bottles of Malbec), we’re coming back to the US this month to explore Zinfandel.

Unfortunately, many people still associate Zinfandel with the insipid (my opinion) sweet pink 1980’s concoction, “White Zinfandel”.  I assure you that White Zinfandel is not in the same league as Zinfandel.  Although made from the same base grape, true Zinfandel can be deep red, rich and full bodied, and can carry just as much complexity as any Cabernet, Malbec, or Merlot. You’ll find flavors like blackberry, baking spices, cinnamon, and sweet tobacco.

If you’d like to learn more about Zinfandel before digging into these bottles, I invite you to visit the great WineFolly blog:

http://winefolly.com/review/zinfandel-wine/

http://winefolly.com/review/guide-to-zinfandel-wine/

About 3/4 of all Zinfandel in the world is grown in the US and most of that is from California.  Although there are Zinfandels from Italy, they’re pretty hard to come by, so this months challengers will all be American made.  (Italy does grow a lot of Primitivo, a very close clonal relative of Zinfandel, but I’m limiting us to just the Zinfandel clone this month.  We’ll address Primitivo in a future challenge.  It’s certainly deserving.)

Reviews for the $10 Zinfandels at TotalWine were mostly very good and I actually had a lot of trouble narrowing down my purchases for the month. So don’t be afraid to explore beyond this starting list!

The Challengers

Bogle Zinfandel 2014 – California –  $7.97 at TotalWine

CellarTracker = 85  /  Vivino = 3.6 out of 5

http://www.boglewinery.com/

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Cline Zinfandel 2014 – Lodi, California – $9.29 @ TotalWine

CellarTracker = 86  / Vivino = 3.6

http://clinecellars.com/

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Coppola Diamond Red Label 2014– California – $9.79 @ TotalWine

CellarTracker = 86  /  Vivino = 3.7

https://www.francisfordcoppolawinery.com/en/our-wines/diamond-collection/zinfandel

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Oak Ridge Gnarled Vine Zinfandel 2014 – California – $9.99 @ TotalWine

CellarTracker = 87.5   /   Vivino =  3.7

http://www.oakridgewinery.com/

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McManis Zinfandel 2015 –  California – $9.49 @ TotalWine

CellarTracker = NR / Vivino = 3.4

https://www.mcmanisfamilyvineyards.com/product/2013-Zinfandel

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Oak Grove Zinfandel Reserve 2013 – Central Coast, California – $8.99 @ TotalWine

CellarTracker – 88.8  /  Vivino – 2.7

http://www.oakgrovewines.com/wine.php?id=6

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Peachy Canyon Zinfandel Incredible Red – Paso Robles, California – $9.79 at TotalWine

CellarTracker – 81  /  Vivino – 3.6

http://www.peachycanyon.com/

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Ravenswoood Zinfandel Lodi 2014 – Lodi, California – $9.99 @ TotalWine

CellarTracker = 87  /  Vivino = 3.7

https://www.ravenswoodwinery.com/2014-Ravenswood-Lodi-Old-Vine-Zinfandel?pageID=05165933-B056-B908-DC14-01B75B55B757&sortBy=DisplayOrder&maxRows=10&

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Ravenswoood Zinfandel Napa 2014 – Napa, California – $11.99 @ TotalWine

CellarTracker =  86.7  /   Vivino =  4.0

https://www.ravenswoodwinery.com/2014-Ravenswood-Napa-Valley-Old-Vine-Zinfandel?pageID=05165933-B056-B908-DC14-01B75B55B757&sortBy=DisplayOrder&maxRows=10&

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Rancho Zabaco Heritage Vines Zinfandel 2014 – Sonoma, California – $11.99 @ TotalWine

CellarTracker – 87.5  /  Vivino – 3.6

http://www.ranchozabaco.com/wines/zinfandel/sonoma-heritage-vines-zinfandel.html

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Ravenswood Zinfandel Zen of Zin 2014 – California – $8.49 @ TotalWine

CellarTracker – 89  /  Vivino – 3.5

https://www.ravenswoodwinery.com/