The UnCorker

Weird Wine of the Week- 2004 Coturri Zinfandel Frieberg Vineyards

June 2, 2009 | In WINE REVIEWS | 9 Comments

At first glance, you might be thinking, “what in the world is weird about another Cali Zin?” After all, we know that California produces veritable oceans of the stuff- from the Central Valley to the Napa Valley.   Drank by the miners back in gold rush days, Zinfandel was in decline until the mid 1980’s when the ‘craze’ for ‘white’ zinfandel spread like a blight on the land. While its popularity declined, zinfandel properly vinified took off with cult producers like Turley demanding huge sums for its polished single vineyard zins.

Still to the question of why the Coturri zin is weird, which we wish it wasn’t- Oh God, how we wish it wasn’t weird at all. We at The UnCorker fervently hope to one day be able to consider this a delicious but un-weird wine- common even, which it certainly is not. Let us consider the ways. Its organic- and yes, lots of Cali wine is organic, but the Coturri folks put the O in organic. No SO2, no inoculation with sulfites, no yeast cultures, no use of concentrates to boost sweetness(yes, people do that all the time in California), no added water, acids, or other manipulation of the wine, all of which can be done in a wine deemed ‘organic’. The Coturri winery is a small production family run outfit- 3rd and 4th generation Coturri’s manage the vineyards, pick the grapes, and unlike just about everyone else, make the wine- no consultants, no lab technicians,  just farmers making wine.

Continue reading Weird Wine of the Week- 2004 Coturri Zinfandel Frieberg Vineyards…

Ridge Sonoma Coast ‘Three Valleys’ 2006

August 22, 2008 | In WINE REVIEWS | No Comments

74% Zinandel, with petite sirah, carignane, and a bit of grenache and mataro(mouvedre)
Very youthful and fruity with a super grapey sappy aroma that really jumps out of the glass. Soft and medium weight on the palate with vanilla and notes of cream. This is a nice entry level effort from Ridge, though it lacks the personality of their single vineyard bottlings, it is nonetheless a polished wine and a great value, and its drinking great right now. Continue reading Ridge Sonoma Coast ‘Three Valleys’ 2006…