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Affordable Old Vines Zin
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So many wine labels, particularly on Zinfandels, carry the designation: Old Vines. What does it mean?
Mostly, it means pricey. But, in an industry rife with stringent standards for what is put into bottles and how it’s labeled, the wine trade hasn’t agreed on a legal definition of Old Vines.
Suffice it to say, then, that older vines have deep roots and produce smaller grape clusters with more intense fruit, yielding generally more flavorful wines.
And as for the pricey part, exactly one name comes to mind in terms of a very affordable (10 bucks), delicious Old Vines Zin. Stand back, wine snobs, for it’s none other than Woodbridge Select Vineyard Series by Robert Mondavi Fish Net Creek from Lodi (home of many great zins).
Wine snobs know & pretty much universally love Mondavi. And they just as consistently turn up their sensitive noses at the lesser tiers it offers, even though the quality/value ratio is frequently higher and the results more predictable.
So the Fish Net Creek (actually the Mokelumne River -- meaning "land of the fish net people") has bell peppers and spices on the nose, followed by bombastic berries on the palate, with some surprising depth for an inexpensive wine. The finish is full with some spice and spiciness.
And the vintages do vary considerably: the 2003 was a good year for the grapes, while the `05 and `06 were quite average. But the `07 are now coming out, and are well worth the wait.
