87+(?) 2007 Ridge Dusi Ranch Late Harvest Zinfandel 9/23/11 ($30)
1.4% residual sugar 15.5% alc
Color: Deep purple garnet. (3.0) Bouquet: Ripe fig, date and plum with some berries. Shows some alcohol and some briar. (3.0) Body: Excellent fruit and acidity, but the residual sugar and alcohol make it hot. A light heavyweight with a rich, silky mouthfeel. (2.5) Flavor: Parallels bouquet with heat. (3.0) Finish: Long and delicious, but candied heat makes it taste somewhat like cheap Port. (2.5)
Overall: This is a Jekyll and Hyde kind of wine. There are things I really like about it (delicious, multilayered fruit and interesting spice) and other things that I really don't like (candied flavors and heat). This is just off-dry, so less sweet than the Black Magic. Probably goes best with grilled meat lathered in barbecue sauce or Peking duck. Could improve in the next few years. (14.0)
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