I’m a bit late posting our annual list of wines from the ZAP tasting. Again, we took a lot of notes during this year’s ZAP Zinfandel Festival tasting. Our strategy is to taste at any tables where the winery is new to ZAP, plus we taste anything that’s over $40 a bottle. Then we usually end up tasting some other stuff here and there, mainly on the recommendation of friends or other volunteers.
Much of what we tasted was barrel samples and just-bottled wines that haven’t been released yet. There were a lot of really good wines but these were the standouts, grouped by our first then second favorites:
Most favorite wines:
Atelier 2004 Rockpile (we have a bottle of this!)
Carlisle 2005 Pietro’s Ranch
Chateau Potelle NV Zinie de Potelle, Late Harvest
Chiarello 2005 Felicia Old Vine
Coturri: 2005 Chauvet Vineyards, 2004 Estate, 2005 East Block Old Vines
(recommended by a friend, and was really good)
Gamba 2005 Moratto, 2005 Estate (always a favorite, but we like the Moratto best)
Kokomo 2005 Perotti, 2005 Timber Crest (former asst. winemaker at Amphora – yum)
Macchia 2004 Adventurous (also recommended by a friend)
Mara 2004 Reserve, Dolinsek Ranch (got some buzz among the volunteers)
Mauritson 2005 Rockpile Cemetery Vineyard (so good, better than the regular Rockpile)
Michael-David 2004 Lust (huge)
Minnassian-Young 2004 Minassian-Young Estate
Pezzi King 2004 Late Harvest
Renwood 2004 Grandpere (always a favorite)
RHR 2004 Late Harvest, Old Baily (very nice people)
Sapphire Hill 2005 VineAgra, 2004 Bastoni
Saxon Brown 2004 Parmelee Hill
Sharp 2003/2004 Hailey’s Creek, 2005 Hailey’s Creek barrel sample (huge with some residual sugar – almost a late harvest)
Simi 2005 Late Harvest
Valdez 2004 Rockpile, 2005 Late Harvest, Simoncini Vineyard (we bought the very first case of the rockpile, and it’s drinking really well right now)
XYZin 2005 Vine Age Series 100 year
Runner-ups:
Atelier 2006 Alexander Valley – barrel sample
Bella Lily Hill
Robert Biale 2005 Stagecoack Biale Block, 2005 Monte Rosso (we liked the Aldo’s from Thursday a bit better)
Beatty Ranch 2004 Beatty Ranch Vineyard
Elyse 2004 Eaglepoint Ranch
GiaDomella 2003 East Passalacqua, 2004 East Passalacqua
Gravity Hills 2003 The Sherpa
Grey Wolf 2004 Estate
Grgich 2005 Old Vine
HaGafen 2004 Reserve
Javelinia Leap 2003 Reserve
Minnassian-Young 2005 Minassian-Young Estate, 2004 Zin Cuvee
Outpost 2005 Estate
Papapietro Perry 2004.2005 Russian River Valley
Pezzi King 2003 Maple Vineyard
Ravenswood 2005 Old Hill Vineyard – barrel sample
Sapphire Hill 2005 Winberrie, 2004 Bastoni – barrel sample
Saxon Brown Casa Santinamaria Old Vine vertical (1999-2003; we liked the 1997 and the 2000 the best)
Sextant 2005 Wheelhouse (big hit from last year)
Sharp 2001 Hailey’s Creek
SideJob 2004 C5
St. Francis 2005 reserve, Pagani Ranch
TRUST 2006 Dry Creek Valley