Tasting - Ironstone Old Vine Zinfandel

Name: Ironstone Old Vine Zinfandel
Variety: Red Zinfandel
Region: Lodi, California
Country: USA
Year: 2011
Price: Regular: $15, Sale: $7.95
Winery Review: Grown in vineyards that are over 45 years old, this medium-bodied Zin has exceptional varietal character with lovely aromas of dark fruit and blackberry. Subtle pepper spice mingles with richly concentrated fruit flavors of blackberry, ripe plums and fresh red raspberries. Barrel aging created its smooth, silky finish and unprecedented depth.  A wonderful wine pairing for variety of dishes. Any type of meat - whether its pork, beef or game - is ideal with this wine. Cioppino is another amazing complement or try it with tomato-based pastas, hearty stews or a plate of strong, aged cheeses.

Personal Review: This wine's bouquet was filled with aromas of sweet plums, black currants, blackberreis, dark cherries, and raspberries. The wine was a lot sweeter than I expected from the bouquet. There was a lot of residual sugar present up-front and flavors of blackberries, blueberries, plums, and peppery jam came through in the mid-palate. All mixed together, I thought this wine tasted a little bit like a waffle with several fruit and jam topping smothered in maple syrup! I really liked it - it was a perfect combination of sweetness, fruitiness, and tannic. I did not have this wine with any food.