Zinfandel Reds Of The Week

[sunny-dave]

A departure from my usual grab-bag of 'what has tickled my tonsils' this week - concentrating on just one grape variety.

Zinfandel is my go to grape for a full-on winter warmer red - loads of fruit, not too many tannins and ages nicely in the bottle.

These five are all excellent value - and the Aldi wine is way under-price for such a good wine - loads of fruit, smooth as a very smooth thing and excellent with grills and BBQs :

Aldi Meadowhawk Cellars - £7.99 - currently seems to be missing from their online site, but there's loads in my local store still.

http://sr1.wine-searcher.net/images/labels/80/10/meadowhawk-cellars-zinfandel-lodi-usa-10868010.jpg

Three from Majestic :

The first is a cheap introduction to the delights of zinfandel red - it's not a showstopper, but is well worth the £6.99. The other two are in a different class - bottled Californian sunshine for an occasional treat in a gloomy British February. The Chronic Cellars is just wonderful with spicy tagines and the like :

https://www.majestic.co.uk/Parcel-Series-Old-Vine-Zinfandel-zid18109;pgid=BtP.vVSSWlhSRpVG4IKok5jJ0000pf64qKzY;sid=_ISGhdlikauChYH59KiNh-loZGBAEEGGOhE24gun?tracking=|searchterm:zinfandel

https://www.majestic.co.uk/Chronic-Cellars-Purple-Paradise-zid18096?tracking=|searchterm:zinfandel

https://www.majestic.co.uk/Peirano-Estate-Old-Vine-Zinfandel-zid18093?tracking=|searchterm:zinfandel

Finally, I was overjoyed to find a new UK distributor for an old favourite - Avery's discontinued it a couple of years ago and I'd just drunk the last bottle from my 'rainy day rack'.

Smoking Loon is the best (for its £11 price) Zinfandel around - smooth, fruity, drinkable - excellent with a Roast Dinner, but I had a bottle with a curry the other day and it was just perfect :

https://www.winedirect.co.uk/smoking-loon-old-vine-zinfandel-2014?manufacturer_id=2363

NB - there's a £10 delivery charge , but new customers can get a 5% reduction on their first order, so a case comes in at about £124

Bottoms Up

Dave xx

[gness]

Thanks, Dave.....I shall be ordering Smoking Loon.......mind you.... does it say something about me that my two favourite wines at the moment are.....
Smoking Loon and LaLa Land?.... ;-)

[sunny-dave]

https://www.majestic.co.uk/La-La-Land-Malbec-zid19122

It's very good :)

[NoMercy]

I've tried the Meadowhawk from Aldi - very good indeed.

Have you tried their Callia Magna Malbec? It's a wow wine!

[vetuste_ennemi]

If you like blushes have you tried the dry rosés from the Rhone (Tavel) and Provence (they're the ones in the woman-shaped bottle).

The last time we went to Paris I remember eating al fresco with my wife and watching a skinny, but well dressed and good-looking French thirtyish woman nibbling at something or other, drinking Provençal rosé (she had a full bottle on the table) and smoking a fag.

[NoMercy]

I found a blush Sancerre in the cellar the other day - rather nice I have to say, even for a pint noir.

[sunny-dave]

I'm not overkeen on 'blush' zins - they tend to far towards the sweet end of the spectrum sometimes - but a Sancerre might be interesting, and Rosé de Provence can be a very refreshing drink on a hot day.

That Aldi Malbec sounds interesting - as does this new Alberone :

https://www.aldi.co.uk/grande-alberone/p/000000135072000

[gness]

Message for Ed......Dave keeps posting super wines.....please can you suspend him for a few weeks til there is space in my wine racks....or you could just send me some more wine racks.....

Thanks Gx

[sunny-dave]

You could post a picture in my new "rack of the week" competition ...

[gness]

...and an extra week suspended for cheek..........☻

[NoMercy]

Seriously, Dave, that Malbec is outstanding stuff.

Rack of the week sounds good :-)

BTW, I lost all my contacts recently so drop me a WhatsApp