Price: $6.99 @ Trader Joe’s

What They Said:

My initial Google search returned nothing. The back of the bottle noted that this one is made by DnA Vineyareds which I recognized from two previous offerings; Trader Joe’s Captain’s Catch and the TBD Zinfandel. The DnA Vineyards site hardly exists hasn’t been updated in ages. Failing on that front I decide to give the COLA registry a try and learned that the Mendocino Wine Group is ultimately behind this one. They are responsible for numerous labels with Paraducci being the most widely known offering (and for football fans the Mike Ditka wine label which I didn’t know existed…). Neither Rootstock or DnA Vineyards are mentioned on the site. Looks like yet another TJ’s orphan wine!

So what did the bottle have to say? “Combining four different Lodi Zinfandels and blending in a special lot of Lodi Petite Sirah gives this succulent wine added depth and color. This wine is full bodied and round with very integrated tannins that lead to a long and silky finish. The mouthfeel harbors licorice and cedar with a slight fennel note in the background. Versatility is the key here when considering what food to pair with; burgers, pastas and grilled veggies all work wonderfully.”

What I Think:

Reading my review on the TBD Zin which also was mostly Lodi Zinfandel I can’t help but wonder if this isn’t almost the same juice, with the same winemaking team under a different label. I find myself playing the role of skeptic as I put this on the table to pair with meatloaf.

So, what’s in the bottle? On the nose you are greeted with bright, hot cherry notes. On the palate this one is big & fruity but mostly one dimensional. You think a spice component is going to emerge near the mid palate but it quickly falls apart. The wine then turns hot leading to a slightly chalky finish before the heat once again emerges and lingers on. This one is not to be had on its own (IMHO), much better with food. But then even still it is rough around the edges. I may be being a bit harsh but couple my experience with the $6.99 price tag and I am not likely to buy this one again. By the way to my earlier point on playing the skeptic, my notes on the TBD Zin don’t sound all that different. But then again I do always enjoy a good conspiracy theory…

Rating: Skip It

Price: $6.99 @ Trader Joe’s

What They Said:

Per Trader Joe’s Fearless Flyer “Inviting – like a warm hug with the right amount of squeeze. Juicy cherries and warm, sweet cloves harmonize with soft French oak. The finish holds on just long enough.”

Subsequent searches turn up numerous reports of bankruptcy at Fife Vineyards. The note of interest to me here is that these articles are dated circa 2006 and this wine is labeled ’07. That leaves a nagging question I can’t answer. Did the previous management bottle these wines and unload them? Or did someone buy the label? This latter scenario becomes particular interesting as for the life of me I can’t find any reference to a previous vintage of Fife Sonoma Zin. If anyone out there has info please pass it along…

What I Think:

First a few bits of insider information from the Encintas Trader Joe’s Food and Wine Blog (check’em out if you haven’t yet). They were able to track down some facts on this one that I couldn’t track down on my own. The first being that the suggested retail on this one was $28.99. The 2nd being that this is a blend of 91% Zinfandel and 9% Carignane. I need to get looped into these sources!

So what’s in the bottle? You are greeted with hot, cherry cedar notes on the nose. The initial palate shows dried herb and cherry flavors. The mid-palate is juicy and at points slightly sour. Throughout the palate is subdued and forced to the background as velvety, warm, oaky notes constantly push them self to the fore. This isn’t a bad thing; it is a pleasing warm with spice box notes on the edge. This one doesn’t offer much complexity but other than that nothing bad to say. A straightforward wine, what you see is what you get. Few will be disappointed; a nice match for spicy chili. I’m not rushing to buy more but thinking it has a pretty good chance of ending up on my table again. Perhaps I’ll try the Cuvee first…

Rating: 12th Bottle

Price: $5.99 @ Trader Joe’s

What They Said:

Per Shannon Ridge “Shannon Ridge Vineyards & Winery, on the steep mountain slopes in Lake County, uses sustainable farming practices to produce the finest mountain fruit possible. Our winemakers are impassioned to create wines that represent the best of our vineyards. This Zinfandel is a bold wine with nice flavors of white mocha, creamy vanilla, raspberry, strawberry, clove, and rhubarb with a long finish on the palate. Served with aged cheese or spicy beef dishes.”

What I Think:

This one (a blend of 76% Zinfandel, 17% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petite Sirah) started all fruit and with time began to show a bit more balance as the acidity started to break through. This is the inverse of what I usually experience with wines, wonder how come… In the end it had a nice tight, sour cherry flavor profile (almost akin to the candy) and was loaded with deep, warm fruit and spicy, peppery notes on the finish. This one represents a pleasant alternative to the somewhat typical jammy fruit bombs you see in this price range. Definitely worth a try if you enjoy balanced Zins.

Shannon Ridge also offers a Syrah (which joshiemac has great things to say about), a Sauvignon Blanc (heard mixed results) and a Wrangler Rose which I apparently drank before I was able to take notes. That must be a good sign. Perhaps I’ll pick up a four pack on my next visit though my instinct is telling me these may already be gone from Trader Joe’s for good.

Rating: Buy It

Price: $12.99 @ K&L Wines

What They Said:

Per K&L Wines “Rocky Top Tennessee may be home sweet home to Lynn Anderson, but Rocky Top in Amador is home to some fine old Zinfandel vines, and that’s good news for all of us! A very shy producing vineyard with soils of volcanic ash and boulders, this site produces old vine Zinfandel of immense proportions. The very floral, vanilla and raspberry jam aromas are very forward and inviting. The flavors match the aromas, with a rich juicy component. The finish is long and velvety-rich.”

What I Think:

For those that say twitter doesn’t sell wine like Steve Heimoff, here is a firm example of where it does. After coming across @sobonwine hearing about their wines my curiosity was piqued. This led me to K&L Wines where I paid for this bottle of Rocky Top with money. Wow a real example of selling something on twitter… Oh, by the way Dell also made a little bit of money via twitter. But I digress, let’s get to the wine.

This wine is 92% Zinfandel, 4% Petite Syrah, 2% Carignane and 2% Barbera. K&L nicely describes the terroir of this wine above. On the nose you are greeted with rich aromas of dark berries and dusty mocha chocolate. On the palate you are greeted with more purple fruits; plums and blackberries, with a slightly tart cherry component that along with the tannins keeps this wine in perfect balance. The finish was long, velvety and delightful. This is the best Zinfandel I have been introduced to in a while and another reminder that I need to get out and visit Amador County (and Lodi too!) soon. There are a ton of interesting wines coming out of the area that are friendly on the pocketbook. This one is a great example of that and I highly recommend it for Zindependence Day. What are you drinking tomorrow?

Rating: Wow!

Price: $4.99 @ Trader Joe’s

What They Said:

Per No Merlot on the ’03 “The Santino Zin is sturdy and full of rich raspberries and blackberries, plums, and spice aromas. The mouth is flush with berry fruit that hook up with almonds, cinnamon and pepper that finishes with slight tartness but shows some sense of harmonic convergence. Nice Zin for the price. Matches well with spicy and hearty foods.” (editors note: they also give great back story on how Santino became part of Renwood)

What I Think:

Per my database here this is my fourth bottle of the Santino Zin and I have yet to post, shame on me. Why not? Let’s blame it on research. The Santino site only mentions the ’06, so I emailed them to check in on the ’04. Never heard back. Then, from the above, I learned of the internal dysfunction that led to Santino becoming part of Renwood, a very well respected winery from the region. Regardless Matt Kramer of the Wine Spectator had this to say of the winery in his recent book ”One of the leading wineries in the Sierra Foothills.” Couple all of this with my curiosity of the region, they grow a ton of off the beaten path grapes (Italian mostly) and people whose opinion I respect such as Megan, of Wine Clubbie being such huge fans of the area, and I have been thrilled to see this time and time again as I visit Trader Joe’s…

On to the main event. This wine is simple but a winner. On the nose a mix of red fruit and wood. In the mouth you get dark forward fruit with a dry, tannic herbal mid-palate (think sage) that leads to a slightly sour note reminiscent of raspberries. The finish is chewy, lingering and peppery. This wine falls in line with what I think of as typical from this region; particularly the finish. All in all, well balanced and worth the money. Another wine that fits this profile is the TJ’s Growers Reserve Zin. Same price, just as nice; but fruitier…

As for the Santino, I am going to get some more. After I do so everyone else should feel free to do the same.

Rating: Buy It

Price: $4.99 @ Trader Joe’s

What They Said:

Per the winery which seems to be on the ’02 but the Trader Joe’s Fearless Flyer used the same description so we will roll with it….”But it all results in a delightful wine with elegance and complexity that’s lacking in some of the super-ripe, alcoholic Zins from the area. Sniff the exuberant bouquet of raspberries, blackberries, cinnamon and ginger. Feel the ample roundness in your mouth, with layers of fruit, spice and oak continually unfolding. Savor the long, balanced finish.”

What I Think:

This goes for $15 on the winery website. Again amazing and curious as to how Trader Joe’s can offer it at $5. Perhaps the winery is defunct? Nothing on the website is updated since August 2006.

Now to the bottle, not overly fruity, more dry…is it Zin or is it just any red? No berries and only a bit of the spice that I would expect. Mint and hints of herb are more apparent and remind me more of a Cab and that is even before the slightly medicinal finish. Not over the top like the Red Flyer so it doesn’t seem like this was made in the lab.

All that said, not sure why I want to give this one a pass. Guessing because I wished I liked it more as I’d feel like I was getting a steal. I did grab the syrah, perhaps that will make me feel better! As for this one you should take a pass, if you want a $5 Zin grab this TBD offering…

Rating: Skip It

Price: $4.99 @ Trader Joe’s

What They Said:

Per corkd.com “LOTS of juicy cherry in the nose, along with noticeable alcohol that more breathing helps to dissipate. Hint of pepper. The taste is thick & very juicy, w/ cherry & grape dominating. It’s heartier than the 2005. At 14% it should last awhile, too, so I’m going back for a couple more bottles. Good stuff!”

What I Think:

As you may know I have been on the hunt for a good TJ’s Zinfandel for some time. After seeing this in the Fearless Flyer and on an end cap promotional placement I thought I would give it a go. It is made by the Trader Moon Wine Co. which I would presume is an exclusive Trader Joe’s operation as they are responsible for anything with a moon in it at TJ’s. Honey Moon, Purple Moon, Tuscan Moon, etc.

So the “Old Vines” designation likely raised my hopes a bit too much here as I was hoping for varietal characteristics at a minimum in this $5 bottling. Instead I felt like I found half-concocted over the top fruit flavors. A ton of cherry which is not typical of a Zin and a bit of plum and spice as well. That said at this price point I would take it over the Cline or the Ravenswood, but if I want a sure thing I’ll grab the Rocking Horse.

All in all, sometimes I know I expect too much and this may be one of them. I’ll likely grab it again at some point to make sure my initial inclinations were correct. If I do, you’ll be the first to hear.

Rating: 12th Bottle

Price: $7.99 @ Trader Joe’s

What They Said:

Per the winery “Bright, flashy, ripe raspberry, blackberry and vanilla flavors are wrapped around a soft sweet fruit core highlighted by scents of cinnamon”

What I Think:

My quest to find the best $8 Zinfandel led me to this bottle as the final of a trio of contestants. Not quite American Idol but you get the idea. This showed well. On the nose the fruit interlaced nicely with hints of spice. The palate showed dark fruit rounded out with that familiar vanilla/barrel taste. The finish was nice but left you longing for more. That last bit pretty much sums this one up for me. This wine shows promise and tries to deliver but never quite gets there….

With that the final results for the Zinfandel showdown:
1. 2005 Rocking Horse Napa Valley Zinfandel
2. 2005 Ravenswood Vintners Blend Zinfandel
3. 2006 Cline California Zinfandel

That said should the Rocking Horse not be the one for you, feel free to give this one a go.

Rating: 12th Bottle

Price: $7.99 @ Trader Joe’s

What They Said:

Lots of trials and tribulations here. First I tried the winery’s site. Nothing. Next I put them through the ringer as discussed in my post on wine search engines and I was 0-3 with Google, Able Grape, and Scrugy. Next up I expanded the test to include Corkd, Snooth and WineMad. No dice. 0-7. At least I should be assured a good SEO ranking here.

If you don’t want to count solely on me check quaffability’s write up on the 2002 and the 2004.

What I Think:

Thinking about this one brought up loads of cross links in my head before I even pulled the cork out of the bottle. I had the 2002 offering of this one last year and was impressed but it was quickly overshadowed by the Beringer Clear Lake Zinfandel which was ranked #1 in my TJ’s top 10 for 2007. Couple that with my recent experiences with the Sausal which I enjoyed but seemed pricey and Cline which was slightly disappointing I was keen to see where this one slotted in.

In a nutshell if you call the Cline too fruity and the Sausal to mellow this found a happy middle between them with the price on the lower end of that scale. It was a bit tannin filled up front but this tightness gave way to some lush fruits that lingered on through the finish with a spiciness throughout. I’ll definitely be grabbing another bottle of this one but just like last year if the Beringer reappears I’ll drop it like a bad habit.

Rating: Buy It

Price: $13.00 direct from the winery

What They Said:

Per the winery “The Cellar Cats Red is an estate Zinfandel named after Sophie and Gypise the two little black cats that have taken over the winery, literally! Gypsie wandered into the winery one day and captured the hearts of Peachie and Cindy, two of the winery owners, but then quickly disappeared. Unbeknownst to them, she birthed a litter of kittens in the cellar. When they were discovered, they were presumed to be dead, but at the last moment, they realized they were still alive, but just barely. Only one survived, her daughter, later named Sophie. The cats live at the winery here in beautiful Alexander Valley and needless to say, they are spoiled as if they were the heirs to the family fortune, hmmm, what fortune? One day, very near Sophies first birthday, the Demostene family decided to make a wine in honor of the cats, hence, The Cellar Cats Red was born. The popularity of this wine was so great, that it has now become an annual bottling.

This is our lightest, fruitiest Zinfandel. This wine craves a warm night on the porch or by the pool. No need to eat with this one, but it does pair nicely with hamburgers or even cheese and appetizers.”

What I Think:

Many know that I am a member of the Sausal wine club. The winery is located in the Alexander Valley area of Sonoma and known for their old vine Zinfandels. This is one of their latest offerings. It is the bottom of their four rung offering, two of the others have been written up here. Amazingly this one is made from 50-90 year old vines at a very fair cost of $13. Super mellow with loads of dark fruit this one is a winner. If $13 is an everyday drinker for you get a case. In my case I am going to need to do some further evaluation on the field. Stay tuned…I reserve my right to update this one based on my findings.

Rating: Pricey