Gamba Family Ranches Zinfandel (2)
$49.99 $84.00 40% off List Price
2011 Gamba Family Ranches Zinfandel, Russian River Valley
Lucas J. Russian River Pinot Noir (3)
$59.99 $100.00 40% off List Price
2008 Lucas J. Pinot Noir, Jasper Family Vineyard, Russian River Valley
Geyser Peak Cabernet Sauvignon (2)
$54.99 $94.00 42% off List Price
2008 Geyser Peak Ascentia Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley
2009 Geyser Peak Ascentia Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley
Solstice Single Vineyard Riesling (4)
$74.99 $140.00 46% off List Price
2010 Riesling Solstice Vineyard, Yakima Valley
Have to throw in my 2 cents here. Having tried just about every combination out there I have found that Riesling and Pinot Noir (from USA) pair the best on Thanksgiving. If I had to pick one it would be Riesling and I don’t drink much white wine. For what its worth.
The Gamba is pricey, but it is a serious Zin. I’ll try to find my notes from the last offer, but if you need some high end Zin, buy. I think it could compete with Turley, to give you a sense of style and pedigree.
Edit: the wine I had was the 2006. Haven’t had the 2011. Assuming it’s similar, here’s the 2006 offer:
Agreed. I had the 2006 Gamba Zinfandel Old Vine Moratto Vineyard recently and it was utterly fantastic. Not for the faint of heart (15.9% ABV), but it hid it well.
However, if the 2011 is anywhere near the 2006 I had, I wouldn’t serve it for Thanksgiving, unless you’re planning for a roast rather than a bird. I’d stick with a Riesling for its ability to go with traditional Thanksgiving fare.
This wine will be a great pairing with your Thanksgiving day fare. I would not have offered it up to Woot if I felt otherwise. Rest assured, this wine is a bit more restrained than some of its siblings.
Overall, it is a delicate expression, balanced, with a nice fruit profile showing more finesse than bold in your face power. Give it a try, and let me know what you think.
All of us at Gamba wish everyone a great Thanksgiving, and we would be honored if you shared this lovely wine at your holiday table!
I was a big fan of the aforementioned 2006 Moratto, and I actually preferred the 2007 RRV Zin. I remember it as a pretty powerful wine that really blew me away. You mentioned that this offering is more delicate and restrained, but nearly 16% alcohol seems like a bruiser to me. Any chance you can compare to the 07 RRV?
Thanks for your question. I’m happy to hear that you enjoyed past Gamba wines from 06 and 07 vintages.
I will go into a bit of detail here, but stay with me.
As you know quite well I am sure, vineyards are subject to the vagaries of the weather, and the resulting wines are the winemakers best interpretation of what Mother Nature provides in any given vintage.
For 2011, the season provided some outstanding fruit that showed brighter fruit characteristics,nice structure and balanced acidity. So, taking that cue, the expression of all of my wines in 2011 are in line with that style.
In reference to this offering, when I say delicate, I am relating to the overall fruit flavor profile of this wine. Yes indeed, it is a 15.9er, and in that sense it remains a serious Zin, however the alc. is not a component that stands out of balance with the rest of what’s going on.
Instead of the extracted ripe blackberry and dark berry flavors in the 07 RRV, the 11 Family Ranches shows brighter, harmonious cranberry, rich strawberry and spice notes across the palate.
For this reason, I feel this wine to be a great choice for the holiday table. The Gamba should pair nicely with anything from Turkey to Tofurkey. (Hope I spelled that right.) Cheers! -A.
Depends how you like your wine. I feel that generally when a winery releases their wine it is considered ready to drink. If you enjoy the wine with some age on it then store it for awhile.