Tilting at Windmills
What: 2006 Windmill Estates Zinfandel Old Vine Lodi
How much: $18
Vinapedia rating: ♠ ♠ ♠ ♠
I was intrigued by the 7 Deadly Zins tasting notes and decided, as is my wont, to see what else the family tree might offer. Often, moving up or down a product line is pretty revelatory and, furthermore, late summer (which in Florida stretches until December) is the time of year when one eats the sorts of food which clamors for Zinfandel. The decision to go on a Zin streak is pretty automatic.
As you may have already read in these august pages, Michael ‘n’ David Phillips are fifth generation growers in Lodi, California. What sets them apart is the willingness to use their 500 acres of wine grapes for creative experimentation and innovation. (You’ll read more on that as time passes.) These vineyards have their thirst quenched, if National Geographic is anything to go by, by the Mokelumne River carrying water from the Sierra Nevada (the mountains, not the beer, although THAT would be interesting) riddled with nutritious minerals that enhance the soil.
These guys make it a point to use an all-natural growing methodology akin to those employed by growers who are certified organic, although they are not. Still, the effort to grow as non-artificially as possible pays off nicely.
This is an ideal everyday Zin, crisp and somewhat spicy, with solid tannins and this ripe cherry and black berry (NOT blackberry, which is not to say there isn’t some sort of blackberry thing going on in the , I’m just trying to be precise here) flavor profile that morphs happily into the espresso/tobacco/cocoa end of the spectrum. It has a great, lush mouthfeel and a good — but not overlong – finish that allows it to pair well with slightly spicy, lighter, grilled meats. This is, quite literally, a food wine; not so much something to have a s a beverage, but something meant specifically for dining. In that context it really, really works.
This is ideal for pasta in a tomato sauce laden with prosciutto or pancetta or other Italian cured meats; it REALLY works with the components usually found in cured pork.
