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.
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