2007 Rosenblum "Monte Rosso Vineyard" Sonoma Valley Reserve Zinfandel (Previously $30)

SKU #1094861 89 points Wine Spectator

A big, burly Zinfandel, offering smoky plum and mushroom aromas and concentrated huckleberry, white pepper and sage flavors that end with firm, briary tannins. Best after 2012. (2/ 2010)

Connoisseurs Guide

Dense and extracted and smelling of very ripe blackberries, this fairly gutsy, big-bodied effort has the kind of fruity solidity to successfully fight off a slight bit of toughness and heat. It feigns fatness to start but firms up straight away, and its lengthy, acid-framed finish is just stiff enough to call for a few years of age. (1/ 2010)

K&L Notes

Fruit for this 100% Zinfandel from Rosenblum Cellars was hand-selected from the Monte Rosso Vineyard when the clusters reached a perfect ripeness late in the 2007 growing season. Not to be confused by its Sonoma Valley AVA, the Monte Rosso Vineyard is located above the fog line near the top of Moon Mountain, at the southern end of the Mayacamas Range. Planted in the late 1800's in red volcanic soil, the vineyard retains several blocks of ancient, head pruned vines. The 2007 vintage presented a perfect growing season, which is particularly important to a mountain vineyard wine's structure and evenly ripened flavors. A profile lush with dark berry fruit and black cherry is complemented with vanilla and baking spices. Good acidity and a ripe, rugged tannins mark this Zinfandel's mountaintop origins and longevity.