2000 Nalle Sonoma Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley, $21.99, 13.5% alc.: Despite the vintage, I was hoping for more from this ruby dark garnet, based on a happy experience with the '99 model and Doug Nalle’s long standing reputation for producing fine zinfandel. Unfortunately, this isn’t one of them, if this bottle is any indication. The nose is all oak, dill and coconut over raspberry when first poured, while the raspberry and black cherry flavors have a greenness to them that is not particularly endearing. Medium to medium full bodied, with a reserved claret – like manner, and though the oaky stink blows off to reveal deeper, darker tarry blackberry and black raspberry aromatics, the green quality remains in the flavors. Maybe this just needs time to come around, but I don’t think so; indeed, it would seem to be a casualty of the vintage. Still, we’ll hold our other bottle for a few years to see what happens.
Reporting from Day-twah,
geo t.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
George Heritier
The Gang of Pour
http://www.gangofpour.com/
Original Post