Russian River Valley Zinfandel Reviews

Chairman's Award 
Best of Class 
Unanimous Gold
This is what Zinfandel should be. Dense, hearty ruby color, a nose full of the same black cherry for which Russian River Valley Pinots are famous. Remarkable structural integrity with firm, grippy supportive tannins without graininess, signaling age worthiness, yet it's perfectly generous and satisfying today.

Editors' Choice

This full-bodied, balanced wine opens elegantly in the glass, revealing red berry and spice around a core of soft, layered tannins and restrained oak. On the finish a remarkable sprinkling of black pepper lingers playfully on the tongue.
 

Best Buys Of The Year

Brian Maloney drew on four vineyards to make this delicious zin, the oldest, Saitone, planted in the 1890s and the youngest, BCD, planted in the 1990s; he raised the wine almost exclusively in older barrels. It's cool and fragrant, firm yet silky, the flavors quiet but convincing, suggesting rose, dried strawberry and pink peppercorn. Its slow-building intensity calls for a plate of prosciutto.

Best Buy. A supple Russian River Valley zin, this has fat persimmon and salted plum flavors to balance the notes of peppermint and the sweetness of the alcohol. It turns savory with air, finishing clean.

Editor's Choice. Online Exclusive. Easy to like for its ripe fruit, cola, spice and meaty flavors. This is DeLoach's basic Zinfandel, and it's very good due to the balance that makes it so drinkable.

Floral raspberry and vanilla flavors lead to soft, appealing notes of blueberry, cherry and spice. Drink now through 2017.

Very good. Strong recommendation.

This wine's dark fruit tastes like pomegranate, a lean, clean zinfandel that plumps up in the finish. It's taut mineral-black in the middle, then becomes brighter in the end. Decant it for braised lamb shank.