Is this a dry or sweet wine?
The notes say DRY.
…for posterity…
Saxon Brown 2000 Zinfandel
$55.99 + $5 shipping
condition: Old-vine field blend
product(s): 2 Saxon Brown 2000 Zinfandel
This one’s a bit outta my price range… thankfully.
From the winery, retail on this “Library Selection” is $40/bottle.
Tasting Review from bawineproject.com
“2000 Saxon Brown Casa Santinamaria Zinfandel
At first the nose was reminiscent of a Chiles Valley Zin, with that crushed pinecone smell, but that actually faded in the glass to reveal wonderfully balanced ripe fruit, sharp acidity, and a firm tannic backbone. My #1 wine of the flight.”
Google led me back to the Armida Vineyard website (Poizin, anyone?) where the brains/money(?) behind Saxon Hill is listed as a winemaker for Armida.
http://www.armida.com/about/winemaker.html
Anyone know how the 2000 vintage compares to 2001?
And, the classic question to the vineyard…What’s the drinkability window projected to be? When it is expected to peak? The 2001 appears to be drinkable to 2007 (according to the 2001 Vintage WS Review), which might mean the 2000 stuff is getting a little old???
THIS WS REVIEW IS FOR 2001…
*Supple and concentrated, a soulful wine with fine intensity to roasted plum, dried berry and fresh herb flavors. Vibrant spice and fruit tones weave through ripe tannins on the cedar-scented finish. Drink now through 2007. 320 cases made. –JL
Score: 90 | Price: $35
Country: California
Region: Sonoma
Issue: Nov 15, 2004
*
The Wall Street Journal ran an article on zinfandel last week. Saxon Brown’s ‘Parmelee-Hill, Stonewall Block’ 2004 (Sonoma Valley) [a different wine than is being wooted, but same winemaker] took WSJ’s “best of tasting” award. They had the following to say about the winemaker:
When we called Jeff Gaffner, Saxon Brown’s owner and winemaker, he said simply: “I like wines that are elegant.” He said that, to him, it’s all about letting the vineyard speak. That’s his quotation at the top of this column. We’d say we love his vineyard’s voice.
If you want to read the article, Google on “A new dawn for American Zinfandel”.
2000 was, like 2001, an outstanding year for California wines. (http://www.wineinstitute.org/communications/statistics/harvest_2000.htm)
This “Zin” is a blend weighted on the znfandel, but I’d say one worth trying.
Count me in.
Well, if the sausage king of Chicago is in…
The 2000 should age an easy 15 to 20 years. I try to make wines that are elegant and showcase the vineyards personality. The Casa Santinamaria Vineyard is a 110 year old Zinfandel field blend. Due to the age of the vine the fruit/wine is very concentrated with light or no malic acid, almost all tartaric acid which is much strong giving a lower pH. The low pH helps the wine age nicely. Most Zin vineyard the yield per acre is north of 4 ton per acre. At Casa Santinamaria were lucky if we get ½ per acre. Due to the vine age we get a very concentrated low press yield, around 110 gals per ton compared to a normal Zin press yield of 165 to 175 gals per ton. With this great concentration this wine take time to get ready, so this is why I put it into new and one year old tight grain French oak for 22-24 month each year and give at least an addition one year bottle age. Some call me crazy for making a wine like this because it takes so long. Maybe that why I’m NOT rich.
Cheers
Jeff Gaffner
Saxon Brown Wines (also known as my life savings)
Thanks for the response (I’m in for a pair) and I appreciate you being dedicated to the debut of your wine on the site.
Can you elaborate more on its aging and what we will gain by letting it sit longer? Any thoughts on when you think it’ll be at its peak?
Indiana is off the list this week, guess I’ll be sittin this one out.
So do the proceeds of this wine go to the Sierra Club?
Waaka waaka. Well done. (But let’s hope we don’t invite addt’l debate of the matter).
Wine Enthusiast rated the 2000 a 90.
“Marches to the beat of good Cabernet with its cassis and chocolate aromas and flavors, lush, complex tannins and overlay of finely smoked French oak. But the persistant undertow of wild, brambly berry and the peppery finish finger it as Zin. — S.H. (3/1/2004)”
I’ll buy later this week; I need to decide whether to buy 2 or 3. So much good wine, so little money!
Hmm… New Hampshire is off the list this week. We generally allow everything (you don’t even have to wear a seat belt or a motorcycle helmet here). At least I won’t be tempted to buy this weeks offering, since it’s out of my range anyway.
I’m in the same boat. . .but, almost grateful as the budget is tight with the holidays coming up and this sounds almost too good to pass up. Guess the short-sighted legislators are making the decision for me this week.
yeah, I know the feeling, last time I tried to ship to a friends address in MI but it ended up not working out and got sent back, then they called and mailed it to IN anyway lol
No NJ this week either- UGH- My wife loves Zin’s most of all- Oh well-
In 2002, the 1998 Saxon Brown Zinfandel took a silver medal at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.
http://www.winejudging.com/medal_winners_2002/412.htm
He also received high praise in 2003 at the 12th Annual Zinfandel Tasting. George Heritier tasted the 1997-2001 Saxon Brown Sonoma Valley Zinfandel and had the following to say:
that goes agaisnt most common knowledge on 2000 cali, Parker rates Cab a 78 and Zin a 83 for the year. WS probaly very simular but I’m not registered there.