Wine School, Zinfandel vs. Primitivo, January 17, 2013

Wine School, January 17, 2013

Primitivo, Zinfandel, Old Vine Zinfandel

Wines

 

Layer Cake Primitivo 2010

Color:  Opaque, ruby red

Nose:  Must, oaky, woodsy with white pepper. Mary Jo picked up a garden mixture aroma with a hint of mint too.

Mouth:  Fruit up front with minerality and a lovely mid palate. The finish drops off.
Price:  $15.99

Conclusion: A nice, easy drinking everyday wine. 

Klinker Brick Old Vine Zinfandel 2010

Color:  Dark, deep ruby

Nose:  Deep blueberry and blackberry notes with some mustiness, and a hint of smokiness.

Mouth:  Nice finish with notes of pepper, a balanced jammy fruit. Definitely a longer finish than the Layer Cake.
Price:  $19.99

Conclusion:  This wine was definitely the favorite of the bunch. We all loved the finish and it seemed to pair best with most of the food. We especially enjoyed it with the White Pizza and dark chocolate.

Rosenblum Cellars Appellation Series Zinfandel 2005

Color:  Brick red

Nose:  Fresh pumpkin, dark fruit, with underlying earthiness

Mouth:  Some tartness on the finish with big tannins, acidic with a bit of spiciness on the finish.
Price:  $17.99

Conclusion:  This wine seemed to be a bit chewy for all of us and the tannins seemed a bit out of balance. It may be that wine had already met its prime.

Pairings

Cheese

• Gouda
• English Cheddar

California Pizza Kitchen White Pizza
Mexican Layer Dip
Chocolate

• 72% Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate
• Lindt Chili Chocolate

Final Thoughts:

Beth -  I love Zinfandels so this was a great class and perfect for a cold, winter night! Klinker Brick was by far my favorites of the wines we sampled tonight. I loved its finish and it went well with most of the pairings. It was fantastic with the layered Mexican dip and the dark chocolate. The Layer Cake was a bit disappointing in its finish, but the finish did improve with the food.  The Rosenblum was interesting with lots of tannins. I could see pairing it with a grilled steak. It was also wonderful with the Lindt Chili Chocolate. My biggest disappointment was the cheese just didn't stand up to these wines.

Lisa - It's been a while since I've had a Zinfandel so I was ready for the class!  Starting with the Layer Cake which I have had a few times in the past was very good but I think older vintages were a little better than the 2010.  The Klinkerbrick was definitely my favorite! I've had it a few times and with its high alcohol content (15.8% yikes!) you could get too much of a good thing, so be careful.  Finishing with the  Rosenblum, the tannins were a little on the high side for me. As for the food pairings, Klinkerbrick was by far the best and the chocolates were my favorite!

Mary Jo-I was so excited to do this class.  I have been so into spicy wines lately!  I have to agree with Beth with my favorite wine being the Klinker Brick.  I have to admit, I have had this wine several times and love it every time.  I did this class because DNA testing in the late 90's revealed that the zinfandel grape was identical to the Primitivo grape of Italy.  I thought we would pair that with a zinfandel and an "old vine" zinfandel.  I can't say that the three were strikingly similar - as I thought they would be.  The finish on the Layer Cake Primitivo was abrupt, but the food pairings did help.  The cheeses, while recommended, did not pair well, but the chili chocolate was a delicious pairing.  Klinker Brick takes the prize for the evening!