90+(?) 2007 Sobon Estate Paul's Vineyard Zinfandel (Amador County) 2/7/10 ($25)
15.3% alc
Color: Dense purple garnet. (3.0) Bouquet: Concentrated, ripe sweet plum and black cherry fruit with some roasted vegetable and tabacco nuances. A little heat. (3.0) Body: Excellent fruit, but the chalky acidity with some heat bite your cheeks despite the very ripe fruit. Heavyweight that coats the mouth nicely. (3.0) Flavor: Parallels bouquet, but not as sweet with a little more bitterness from tannin and heat. Still very tasty. (3.0) Finish: Parallels flavor. (3.0)
Overall: A very ripe (but not over-ripe) warm climate Zin that actually has tannin, tabacco-like tannins no less. It does have some heat and bitterness, but I really like the pure fruit and old vines complexity rapped up in an intense package. Another full-bodied, but well balanced Zin from this unique vintage that is shaping up to be the best Zin vintage in the past ten years. (15.0)
Copyright © 2006 - 2010, Paul DeRose , WineOutpost.com