Rancho Zabaco

You might be wondering, “Why’s he recommending a wine from Monte Rosso Vineyard? It doesn’t need any help.” Three answers: I tasted it blind and it stood out from a whole bunch of good 2005 Zinfandels. When a wine does that, I figure you want to know about it. Second, super-famous vineyards with historic, exceptional individuality are often priced way beyond our wallets. I was frankly surprised that this wine costs less than $50. Third, the greatest sites should inspire a winemaker - not to tart up the wine but rather to undress it, so to speak, so we can really get intimate with the fruit itself. Winemaker Eric Cinnamon achieved that. With apologies to him for the analogy, I think it’s time to talk about the wine.

After the tasting I got another glass out just to sit with my nose over the rich, creamy red fruit that dominates the aromatics. There's a lot more going on, particularly from almost 100 percent new French oak, but it all melds into the cherries and berries and soft moist earth. An experience not to be missed. In fact this whole wine seems to come from a parallel universe, where a Zin can be pushing 16% alcohol and still have refinement, elegance and noblesse. The wine enters your mouth like a perfect embrace that wraps up your whole taster in a sweet, strong, sensitive clench. The body is so plush you may not want to swallow. Now for those of you who think Rancho Zabaco Zinfandels are too hot, a warning: there's some heat in the finish here, too. The tannins are not tamed yet. So you can either trade a bit of plushness for a cooler wine by putting this down for a year, or you can drink it cooler than room temperature now, or you can match the wine with some saucy food. Highly recommended if you can get it.

Reviewed May 29, 2008 by Thom Elkjer.