Wellington Vineyards Estate Zinfandel Vertical 2005, 2006, 2007 - 3 Pack

Deal Chatter Gourmet
21

[QUOTE=thrawn1020, post:6, topic:320074]
From the website re the 2005 vintage:

"2005 was a warm vintage, and this wine shows it, with aromas of sun baked blackberries, black currant and licorice. It has great complexity, with new aromas at every whiff: dried herbs, chocolate, molasses, hints of tar and prunes. True to form, our 2005 Estate bottled Zinfandel is what the French would call a masculine wine – muscular and structured, big, but not sweet. It is dark, rich and highly concentrated with a good level of acid that keeps the flavors fresh and lively and balances the 15.5% alcohol. The flavors are predominantly of tart cherry and blackberry, and the finish is long and solid without being excessively astringent or hot. This is a very big wine, but, as with all our wines, has balance.

Typical of our Estate Zins, this wine should age well for at least ten years. Our Zinfandel is field blended with small amounts of Durif (aka Petite Sirah), Syrah, Tempranillo, Carignan and Mourvedre, all planted in 1892."

Should age well for a long time. I’m going to lay mine down for at least 3 years, I think. I will also most likely drink the 2006 before the 2005 or the 2007, which is probably going to last the longest.
[/quote]

Someone (I don’t think it was me) must have copied and pasted some of this from the notes for a previous vintage. The 2005 is not completely from ancient vines; it’s the first vintage to include some wine from younger vines.

22

[QUOTE=redwinefan, post:19, topic:320074]
Thanks Peter. I have the Meek’s 2006 Zin from a previous Woot. How would you stay this style compares to that one?
[/quote]

The Meeks Hilltop is fruitier, more straightforward, not as tannic or concentrated. The Estate has more spice, more tannin and more acid. It needs more time to come into its prime, and will age longer than the Meeks.

23

[QUOTE=SonomaBouliste, post:22, topic:320074]
The Meeks Hilltop is fruitier, more straightforward, not as tannic or concentrated. The Estate has more spice, more tannin and more acid. It needs more time to come into its prime, and will age longer than the Meeks.
[/quote]

hi Peter! How’s the weather treating your grapes this month?

Wondering: can you describe how it differs with the ordinary Wellington Zin (no designation, rrp $18)? The 05 is rather a good one…

24

Hi Richard,

Except for a few days in the 90’s in early July it’s been another extremely cool year so far. We’re even later than last year. Upcoming: a blog about the effects of global climate change on grapes and wine.

The Estate bottling has more of everything. More fruit, more tannin, more acid, (slightly) more alcohol, greater depth and length.

PS: My partner and I won the regional mixed doubles Gold medal in petanque a week ago yesterday. We beat a couple of national champions in the final - she’s been on the US team at the world championships three times, and he’s a multi-time national champion who made the US team this year.

25

lovely.
Ah, so more wine too: 1000ml bottles then? :wink:

Wonderful! Surprising it’s making things cooler. Or maybe just less predicable. Being in and from England, I’m used to variability. Yesterday afternoon it was alternatingly raining cats and dogs and then lovely bright sunshine. Every 50 minutes!

Congrats! Hope to have a game with (or a drubbing from) you in mid-August if you’re around :slight_smile:

26

great stuff. in for 3:
Wellington Vineyards Estate Zinfandel Vertical 2005, 2006, 2007 - 3 Pack
Current numbers (updated each minute)
First sucker: DingleBarry
Speed to first woot: 1m 10.013s
Last wooter to woot: epistemologonhere

Glad to see a reformed character got in first for the quality booze! Where’s Mill?

27

Hmmm…now that El Jefe has the lead in my cellar (by a single bottle of futures, that is) over SB perhaps I should get this :slight_smile: The great/horrible thing about CellarTracker is that I was able to check out my notes from the Meeks Ranch Zin from the case offering a while back. While I was hoping to confirm that it was just a standard wine, I said it was what zin was meant to be. Carp.

Then I realize this is the Estate zin. Presumably from those nice gnarly incredibly old vines out in front of and behind the winery. Double carp.

One or two?

SB, what can you tell us about the differences in the vintages?

28

Just 1000ml worth of flavor :wink:

29

[QUOTE=klezman, post:27, topic:320074]
Hmmm…now that El Jefe has the lead in my cellar (by a single bottle of futures, that is) over SB perhaps I should get this :slight_smile: The great/horrible thing about CellarTracker is that I was able to check out my notes from the Meeks Ranch Zin from the case offering a while back. While I was hoping to confirm that it was just a standard wine, I said it was what zin was meant to be. Carp.

Then I realize this is the Estate zin. Presumably from those nice gnarly incredibly old vines out in front of and behind the winery. Double carp.

One or two?

SB, what can you tell us about the differences in the vintages?
[/quote]

All of these vintages were produced in similar fashion: Grapes were destemmed, with a high percentage of whole berries, into small open top fermenters, with cap management by frequent manual punchdown and pressing at dryness. The young vines and old vines were harvested and fermented separately, although some old vine Carignan was co-fermented with the young vine Zinfandel each year. Aging was carried out in one to four year old French oak (no new oak), and only a portion (based on taste) of the young vine wine blended with the old vine wine, 9 months after harvest. The wines were bottled unfined and unfiltered, after a total of 16-18 months in barrel.

Stats and tasting notes:

2005 Zinfandel, Estate Vineyard: 15.3% alc., 3.45 pH, 199 cases produced. Tart cherry and raspberry aromas, with notes of briar, chocolate and raosted nuts. Full, rich and viscous, yet dry with a slightly tart finish. This wine is just now opening up, and has a lot of life left.

2006 Zinfandel, Estate Vineyard: 14.8% alc., 3.51 pH, 195 cases produced. Cherry, blueberry and blackberry fruit aromas, with brown sugar and cinnamon notes. A rich entry, supple texture, full, dry, with a bit of firming tannin on the finish. Quite enjoyable now, even without food, but has at least 3-5 more years of aging potential.

2007 Zinfandel, Estate Vineyard: 14.9% alc., 3.57 pH, 169 cases produced. Briar, black currant and blueberry aromas. A very concentrated, viscous, slightly tart fore palate with a chewy texture and dusty tannins. This one is still a baby, and has a lot of potential to develop more with extended aging. Best now with food, and a good candidate for your vinturi and/or decanter.

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[QUOTE=klezman, post:27, topic:320074]
…blah… While I was hoping to confirm that it was just a standard wine, I said it was what zin was meant to be. Carp.

Then I realize this is the Estate zin. Presumably from those nice gnarly incredibly old vines out in front of and behind the winery. Double carp.

One or two?
…
[/quote]

Three woots.
Minimum.

31

I’ll be back in the morning; 'night all.

32

Peter,

When are the tasting notes from? Recent or when bottled?

33

This was an easy one, and if the day goes well, I may have to triple down. Reading the reviews I have access to on my iPhone app, which primarily cover the Meeks vineyard, it sounds like SB’s description of the differences between the Meeks and the Estate are right on. Meeks is nice everyday Zin, but the Estate is clearly from better stock which allowed SB to take squeeze all of the potential out of the grapes, which we all trust him to do! Uh Oh, I may not wait for the day to go well…

34

In for 2. I never pass up a Wellington offer.

35

PW,

I know you said all bets are off after 10 years. However, I have a son who was born in '05, and I am still looking for that bottle (or 3) to lay down to crack open on his 21st. Chances of this surviving/reviving after 20 years?

Thanks!

36

What a coincidence! The other night, we were drinking Cab Sauvs (Chappellet, '07 Mt. Cuvee and 2002 Signature, a 2003 Shirvington and an '04 Brookdale) and lurking around the Wine Cellar, when we came across a vertical of Wellington Zins ('04, '05, '06, '07) that I had not consumed. I don’t know which ones, or when I bought them (naturally a Woot), but the concensus was that we should do a Wellington Zin night … soon. I think I’ll have to buy this vertical as a replacement. Thanks for your timeliness.

37

Would be in for two, but the rack is FULL, so in for one. :slight_smile:

38

I can’t stand jammy Zins, but I love Peter’s!

Question for you Peter, if I was to do a vertical tasting of all three, what would be the best time (year) to do the tasting to get them all as close to their peak as possible?

Thanks!

39

Well this definitely broke the SIWBM. I was doing so good! But for Wellington Zin, I just couldn’t resist. For folks just thinking about this offer - trust the woot experts here. There is definitely a reason this Wellington guy is a favorite!

Thanks Peter for some great wines! You’ve been the lead producer in my meager cellar since shortly after I first tasted your wines. I haven’t regretted a single purchase. :slight_smile:

40

I opened the Meeks Hilltop a few weeks back (IIRC this is the wine with the shortest drinking window) and was very pleased. I am very much looking forward to trying out the ‘estate’ label. In for two, after all…, it’s my b-day!
Thank you P-dub!
rk