State: California
Appellation: Paso Robles
Varietal: Zinfandel
Stats: 14.3% ABV
Cost: ~$20, purchased at the winery in 2003/4
Appearance: Dark brick red, clear, good legs
Aroma: Chocolate, leather, blackberries, cassis, slight vanilla & caramel notes
Taste: Smooth, light tannins, low acid, cherries & raspberries dancing behind a curtain of leather & chocolate. Hints of mint in the smooth, lingering after taste.
This is an old Zin that I might have caught slightly past its peak. I discovered Rio Seco on a wine tasting trip to Paso Robles in 2003 or 2004 (same year that my ex-brother-in-law got married). Found it through a personal recommendation from another winery. They were a young winery at the time. Housed in a newly purchased building that had been used for illicit drug production (had the bullet holes for proof), I was fascinated that the owner/winemaker also was a former MLB baseball catcher and currently a scout for the Detroit Tigers. Fortunately, his wine was better than the players he found for the hapless Tigers! His wife gave us a tour of their facilities, including the vats of actively fermenting must. The smell in the tasting room/winery was pure heaven and probably one of the reasons that I ended up purchasing a case of wine! Seriously, I enjoy finding small, family-owned wineries that produce good wine for a reasonable price, and Rio Seco fits that bill to a T. Interestingly, the website currently lists the 2000 Zinfandel for sale. I'd suggest buying and consuming quickly because I think this wine is at its peak. A lovely old zinfandel that went great with a pumpkin/italian sausage pasta & green salad, it didn't hold up very long after opening--was pretty flat after 24 hr under vacuum.
Salute,
a Wine Student
