"Odedi"

Pretty color of dark ruby, with a wide reddish/brick rim. Very fruity nose of black fruits, cedar, tobacco, spices and black pepper. Still smells fresh. Full bodied with medium acidity and fat legs. Dry and fruity on the palate with cooked plums, black currants, coffee, dried fruits, oak, cloves, light vanilla, spices, dark chocolates, tobacco, herbs and peppercorn. Medium plus on the finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries. This 5-year-old Zinfandel is drinking very nicely now, and displaying good aging characteristics, likely due to it being a 375 ml bottle. Complex, with a soft mouthfeel Peaking now, so drink up. Good right out of the bottle and better than I expected. Good by itself or with food. Stood up pretty well to the strong French Blue Cheese. A blend of 85% Zinfandel with Petite Sirah and Syrah. 15.5% alcohol by volume. 91 points. $20 (375ml).

Brandon Boesch

What an interesting comparison from stirm zin last night. This is basically port in comparison. At the same time I get the appeal of huge jammy fruit on the nose with some tar and hay in the background. Palate is overwhelming with jam and heat. Obviously I lean to 12% abv wines but this tastes like a smoked old fashioned with a splash of port.