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Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/103517
CHEERS WINE PANEL zesty blackberry and briary flavors; some toasty oak flavors on the finish with a subtle hint of Alexander Valley's volcanic soil. ($20) (90) Scott Harvey Mountain Selection Zinfandel Amador County 2010 (California). Concentrated flavors of currants, blackberry, and cloves coat the palate and linger with supple tannins; a hint of dark-roast coffee shows on the finish. ($20) (90) Foxglove Paso Robles Zinfandel 2009 (California). A beautifully balanced wine with controlled berry and spice flavors; the tannins and acidity are very controlled throughout allowing the fruit to take center stage. ($15) (90) Bramblewood Old Vine Lodi Zinfandel 2011 (California). A classic style zinfandel with beautiful flavors of black cherry, blackberry, cocoa and cracked pepper on a long, lingering finish. ($14) (90) Shooting Star Mendocino Zinfandel 2008 (California). Jed Steele, the original winemaker for KendallJackson, has a full line of wines sourced from prime sites all over California; this is his value tier, sourced primarily from Lake County. Simple in style, using younger grapes to produce a lighter, less tannic style, it offers hints of cherry, plum, raspberries, along with cinnamon, nutmeg, and white pepper. ($20) (90) Kinneybrook Sonoma Zinfandel 2011 (California). Pepper and spice flavors mingle with nice luscious, dark-berry fruits, layered by toasty vanilla; firm tannins giving structure through to the finish. ($18) (90) The Fugitive Dry Creek Zinfandel Red 2011 (California). Blueberry and blackberry aromas are followed by ripe, jammy preserve flavors; layers of spice and mocha enveloping the fruit nicely; firm tannins and good balance to finish. ($25) (89) Rancho Zabaco Reserve Dry Creek Valley, Zinfandel 2007 (California). Let this one breathe an hour or so; the tannins and acid are still tight, and the body a bit light, but the blackberry fruit and cedar aromas make for a pleasant sipper. ($19) (89) Folie a Deux, Amador County Zinfandel 2008 (California). Dry cherry fruit is solid, not overly extracted, with a medium body; smooth briary tannins, subtle oak vanilla, and crisp acidity; good value. ($17) (89) Edmeades Mendocino Zinfandel 2009 (California). Loaded with aromas of red cherry and vanilla; layered fruit; a soft finish with a touch of spice; syrah and petite syrah were added to provide a nice structure. ($18) Cheers National Wine Panel The Cheers National Wine Panel is comprised of beverage experts from restaurants and retail wine stores around the country. Timothy Baldwin The Little Nell, Aspen Ron Balter Italian Village Chicago Stacey Blacker Sayers Liquors Florence, NJ Sandy Block Legal Sea Foods Boston Ralph J. Bondon Berbiglia Wine & Spirits Kansas City, MO Bryan Brick K&L Wine Merchants Redwood City, CA Steve Burnell Washington State Liquor Control Board Portland, OR (90) St Francis Sonoma Old Vines Zinfandel 2009 (California). A classic zinfandel; aromas of cigar box and spice; flavors of black cherry and vanilla with a juicy finish and a touch of Sonoma spice. ($18) Gary Franklin Brown Derby Stores Springfield, MO (90) Bianchi Heritage Selection Zinfandel 2009 (California). Aromas of jam and berries followed by earthy notes and vanilla; oak and spice on the finish; noteworthy value for zinfandel ($20). Tom Geoghegan The Boerne Wine Company Boerne, TX (90) Gnarly Head Old Vine Zinfandel 2010 (California). A zesty wine, loaded with dark berry, ripe plum, raspberry and herb flavors; layers of spice, vanilla and oak on a well-balanced finish. ($11) (89) Gauthier Los Chamizal Vineyard Sonoma Zinfandel 2011 (California). This new addition to the Gauthier portfolio features a black cherry and loam nose; lightly complex, well balanced with classic cherry pie and white pepper; will improve as it develops in the bottle. ($30) 34 | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 John Foy Consultant Hoboken, NJ Maggie Gephard Liquorama Wine Cellar Hyde Park, NY Jackie Kantrowitz The Wine List Hyannis, MA Louis Koppel Wine Host Spencer's for Steaks and Chops Salt Lake City, UT Walter Kotrba Bottle Smart Lawrenceville/ Woodbridge, NJ Larry LaScola Bottle King Liquors Livingston, NJ Richard R. Schneider Trump Taj Mahal Atlantic City, NJ Brad Lewis ABC Fine Wines & Spirits Orlando, FL Charles Scicolone Vino Italian Wines and Spirits New York Daniel A. Manning Haskell's Minnetonka, MN Michael Sorg Liquor Barn Louisville, KY Jack Mantle Frugal MacDoogal's Nashville, TN Matthew R. Scott Kent Rathbun Concepts Dallas Jerry Martellero Stew Leonard's Wines Farmingdale, NY Rick McLeod Prime Wines & Spirits Kenmore, NY Carolin Meier Tavistock Restaurants San Francisco Jorge L. Mendoza The Ritz-Carlton, Key Biscayne Miami, FL Dustin Mitzel Happy Harry's Bottle Shop Grand Forks, ND Michael Mulderig Total Wine & More Claymont, DE William O'Brien The Liquor Store Jackson Hole, WY Phil Perry Terra Nova Wine & Spirits Madison, MS Robin Riddell Martin Wine Cellar New Orleans Hervé Rousseau Owner, Flûte New York Jeff Sukowski Sal's Beverage World Elmhurst, IL Matt Swingos Swingos on the Lake Lakewood, OH Dennis Tafuri Cask 591 Restaurant & Lounge Long Branch, NJ Steve Tindle Shaw's Crab House Chicago W. Edwin True Sherlock's Beer & Wine Warehouse Marietta, GA Gabriel S. Varela Meat Market Steakhouse Miami, FL Jeff Vignaux Premium Wine & Spirits Amherst, NY John Wabeck Firefly Washington, DC Wilfred Wong Beverages & More! Concord, CA www.cheersonline.com