TN: a real late harvest zin
 

Given my complaining about overripe, high alcohol Zinfandels, I decided
to pop the cork on a half bottle of a real late harvest, desert style
Zinfandel to compare it.

1991 Ridge, Zinfandel, Late Harvest, Lytton Springs Estate Vineyard
Medium dark and brick colored around the edge. Nose has strawberry and
sugar. The palate has forward strawberry, raspberry flavors with hints
of licorices, slightly sweet, high acid, soft tannins, and a long
fruity finish. I found the fruit flavors on this wine only a touch
overripe, and as a desert style wine, I found it enjoyable. The alcohol
is 16.5% and the residual sugar of 1%. My rating 87.

While this wine was made from very ripe grapes (the sugar at harvest
was 28%), it only tastes very slightly overripe, and this
characteristic is less objectionable in a desert wine. Perhaps it is
the very high acid that gives this wine a very lively feel on the
palate.

In any event I like it. I probably bought it at Ridge after tasting it.
This is not the kind of wine you would serve with food, other than
cheese, but it is every enjoyable to drink.
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Mike's Wine Blog
http://mikeswinecellar.blogspot.com