Wow ..... 2002 Rodney Strong Sonoma County Zinfandel

[Stinky The Clown]

A local hooch house had a wine sale a few weeks ago. Once a year they sell every wine in the store at or near cost. The urge to buy under these conditions is simply irresistible, and we twice wet our beaks that day; Sparkly made the first trip and then we went back together.

We spent (for us) a shitload of money on mostly moderately expensive wines. I spent most of my time in the Zinfandel lane, communing with other Zinners and sharing bullshit stories of past wines only imagined.

Anyway, this was among our haul that day. It has the old style Rodney Strong label.



Rodney Strong has been a particular favorite of mine, particularly after a now-long-ago Christmas Eve dinner with Sparkly's family and a few very, very special bottles of 1987 Rodney Strong Cabernet (of which, we still have one precious bottle) that showed up, quite unexpectedly via Fedex from a dear friend of ours in Los Angeles.

Most good Zins are big. That's what I like about them. Very big flavors, even if a bit over exuberant at the edges. This was big, but more refined. Dry, but with loads of fruit. And the pepper that is the mark of Zins was so refined as to almost be just an afterthought.

This was more like a very good cabernet than a very good zinfandel, but with all that makes zin special and none of the sameness that I find in the supposedly better cabs.

A really remarkable wine.

[Duer 157099]

1. I'll keep my eyes open for that label

I'm not much of a wine connoisseur, and usually just get whatever is pretty inexpensive at Trader Joes. There's one label that I always seem to like, it's VERY inexpensive (almost to the 2 buck chuck level - which I've actually never tried) - but I really like their cabernet and their reisling - it's "Morris" something - I think it's local (Sonoma/Napa)

[NashVegas]

2. I Like RS Cabernet

Someone gave me a bottle as a gift, many years ago, and every now and then I go hunt some out.

If you like Zins, should I assume you buy wine with Very Colorful Labels every November?

[hippywife]

3. I really, really, really

miss wine most of all. :cry:

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

4. We're doing the Napa/Sonoma wine tour again this

year, so I'll look for them. I do love those wineries & their tasting rooms. :hide:

[Tab]

5. I tend more to whites, not a huge Zin fan, but I do like this

Although technically it's not a wine, it's a Belgian Cherry Beer:



If you haven't had that kind of thing, it's unlike any traditional wine you've had.

http://www.unibroue.com/products/qqch.cfm


(on edit, the name ie Quelque Chose from Unibroue)

[troubleinwinter]

6. When we moved to Sonoma county 20 years ago,

the first community event we went to was Cinco de Mayo celebration at Rodney Strong winery. Sitting on the lawn, watching the Mexican Dancers and enjoying a bottle of RS zin in the sunshine. A little bit of heaven.

RS makes great wines. It's pretty hard to go wrong with any Sonoma or Napa red.

[kestrel91316]

7. My new fave is Coppola pinot noir. My friend serves it now at all her

holiday get-togethers, and I gotta get me some.