Wineguider wine reviews

Today, it’s a comparison of three red zinfandels from Total Wine:

• Kenwood 2008 Sonoma County, $15
• Ravenswood 2009 Sonoma County, $15
• Rancho Zabaco 2010 Dry Creek Valley Reserve, $17

RESULTS:

Kenwood Sonoma:  Light, bright, easy, minimal tannins, mildly spicy.  It’s not a “fruity” wine, but it has more fruit than the others.  A potential crowd-pleaser.  However, it’s very neutral, and doesn’t have much aroma.

Ravenswood Sonoma:  Powerful.  Serious. Abundant mouth-drying tannins.  Eucalyptus and a hint of licorice.  An interesting wine.  A food wine.  However, not much aroma, and the flavor is taking a risk, so not everybody will like it.

Rancho Zabaco Dry Creek:  Seductive aroma of coffee, rhubarb and cedar.  The two extra dollars you spend on this zin get you complexity, serious tannins, and a combination of cinnamon, cocoa and blackberries.  I like it a lot, but again, it’s a bit different, so it may not appeal to everyone.

If you factor in the cost, this trio is basically a dead heat.  A three-way tie.  If forced to rank them, I would say:

1. Rancho Zabaco (duh, it’s the most expensive) (I want more)

2. Kenwood (easy-breezy)

3. Ravenswood (serious and real, takes risks, can’t please everybody)

All three, however, are:

Highly recommended.