OZ 2025 Notes

Now retired, Alice and I do not taste 1000+ wines every year like we did in the old days of Tasters Guild, Michigan Wine and Spirits Competition, Great Lakes Wine Competition, AWS and others.

So, Alice asked me if we ought to calibrate our palates with a few warm-up Zins before we attempt to judge wine at OZ. It might be a good idea, if you have the time, to open an ordinary Zin of decent quality and a really nice Zin with a little age on it to get a feel for what would be considered classic or ordinary.

We did just that. We started with a bottle of 2023 Trader Joe’s Reserve Paso Robles Zinfandel Adelaida District Lot #265 CA (14.3% abv) $9.99. The color is a nice dark black red and not too purple showing that it was probably aged in oak for a little while. The nose is full of big jammy fruit with some weedy grassy herbal components. I’m very surprised that it is from a Coastal appellation. The palate is even more emphatic with ripe, plump, jammy fruit again, suggesting an inland region like Lodi or Cucamonga Valley. Although this is a very pleasant wine, it has no cerebral allure; just simple drinkability. BRONZE

Alice was a bit mystified by my relatively low score (remember, I’m the guy who has never had a wine he didn’t like). She asked me what faults I found. I found no faults but also found no finesse, complexity nor any sort of surprise or lingering flavors to inspire contemplation or palate memory. To exemplify my point, I opened a bottle of 2018 Ridge Paso Robles Zinfandel Benito Dusi Ranch CA (14.8% abv) current price about $50. I’m guessing that either David Russo or Dick Scheer must have recommended this wine because I rarely buy wines in this price range, especially Zinfandel for no particular reason. This is a wine that starts slow but really ramps up after being open a few minutes with a remarkable vinuous, deep, complex array of substantial condensed currant and berry fruit with fleeting whiffs of spice, wood, fermentation and fruit liqueur. The palate is even more expressive with peppery spice, exotic herbs, tea and a long long dry tongue coating mouthfeel. A masterpiece!* GOLD

*I found it interesting that the label states that 4.7% water was added. Normally water is added to calm down acidity, but I don’t think high acid is a problem in Paso. Maybe the alcohol was too hot?!

We arrived at Tony and Nancy Fiore’s home under cool and cloudy skies but after a few gulps of rich ripe Zinfandel, all was fine with the world. A couple of wines on the “Warm Up” table that I should mention are 2021 Four Vines “The Biker” Paso Robles Zinfandel CA (15% abv) about $15 offered a huge spicy peppery nose plus long rich texture 17/20. A homemade wine made by Tony Fiore, 2023 Tappa Michigan Cabernet Franc showed firm red fruit, good body and depth. It is as good or better than any commercially available Michigan Cabernet Franc. 16/20

I will list all of the wines which were scored at the judging. There were six tables of judges some score high some score lower so I will not put the individual scores of each wine other than my own. But I will group the wines by what place they ranked within the wines at that table. Because it is 100% blind and no one knows what anyone else is bringing, there are several duplicates and, of course, depending on the context of the other wines at the table, the same wine can rank differently at different tables. I was one of the table captains, so was invited to judge all of the first place wines to come up with an overall winner which included the top scoring second place wine. Therefore, I do have my score and tasting notes on those wines. Additionally, I have my scores and tasting notes on all of the wines at my table and a few I got to taste at the “losers table” and will include them as well.

FIRST PLACE WINES

TOP SCORING WINE OF THE ENTIRE EVENT “WIZARD AWARD” 2022 1000 Stories Bourbon Barrel Aged California Zinfandel CA about $16 Big, big, big ripe mature nose, huge alcohol volatility, grand wine, big, big, big 17/20

SECOND HIGHEST SCORING WINE OF THE ENTIRE EVENT “DOROTHY AWARD” 2023 Gnarly Head Lodi Zinfandel CA about $9 Jewel-like ruby red color, fresh, clean, red fruit nose, big surprise star anise nuance going into a strong finish 16/20

THE OTHER FIRST PLACE FINISHERS 2022 Oak Ridge OVZ Old Vine Lodi Zinfandel CA about $15 Good stiff texture, backbone and finesse. Likely a great wine with flavorful foods. 17/20 2022 Oak Ridge OVZ Lodi Zinfandel CA about $15 Fat ripe and juicy. Well balanced and much richer than it tasted an hour earlier showing much more finesse. Initially, it showed up as a simple oaky balanced drinkable wine but with some air really came through. 17/20 2022 Gnarly Head Lodi Old Vine Zinfandel CA about $10 Extremely ripe and lush with tropical red fruit and a great zippy buzz on the palate, fine finish 18/20 2022 Oak Ridge Old Soul Lodi Old Vine Zinfandel CA about $12 Very fat and rich with condensed fruit and some earth, long rich texture, big fruit all the way to the finish 17/20

SECOND PLACE WINES

2022 Cantine San Marzano Primitivo Pugia ITALY about $12 Black! Very Italian style with loads of very condensed and concentrated ripe fruit. Late Harvest / Appassimento volatility with extremely long complex flavors. My favorite of the event 19/20 2023 Seghesio Sonoma County Zinfandel CA about $20 2022 Gnarly Head Lodi Old Vine Zinfandel CA about $10 Austin Hope Harvester Paso Robles Zinfandel CA about $20 2023 1858 Brand by Caymus California Zinfandel CA about $25 2022 Bogle California Old Vine Zinfandel CA about $10 Leathery and huge with complexities and massive texture. Very concentrated fruit with spice and ripe fat finish 17/20

THIRD PLACE WINES

2023 Seghesio Sonoma County Zinfandel CA about $20 Pure fine bright red fruit flavors, lots of spice, lingering liqueur essence 17/20 2021 Klinker Brick Lodi Zinfandel CA about $19 So typical it defines Zinfandel. Fine, roasted meat nuances, deep red mature looking with very rich but not heavy fruit. Clean and correct. 16/20 2022 Oak Ridge OVZ Lodi Old Vine Zinfandel CA about $15 2021 Three Contra Coasta Zinfandel CA about $15 2021 Klinker Brick Old Ghost Lodi Zinfandel CA about $40 2022 Members Mark (Sam’s Club) Lodi Zinfandel CA about $7 2023 Shegesio Sonoma County Zinfandel CA about $20

FOURTH PLACE WINES

2021 Criss Cross Lodi Old Vine Zinfandel CA about $12 2022 7 Deadly Zins Lodi Old Vine Zinfandel CA about $12 2021 Federalist Lodi Zinfandel CA about $15 2023 Lapis Luna North Coast Zinfandel CA about $14 wonderful spicy liquor-like intensity, real grip, long mega finish and classy. A “GOLD” on my score sheet. 2022 Obscene California Zinfandel CA about $40 2023 Lapis Luna North Coast Zinfandel CA about $14

FIFTH PLACE WINES

2021 Sobon Estate Amador County Old Vine Zinfandel CA about $14 Though rather light colored compared to the other wines and starting off somewhat weedy grassy veggie, a big surprise of fresh citrus berry nuance sweeps over the mid-palate giving the wine a very refreshing finish that cleanses the palate. 16/20 2022 Biane Cucamonga Valley Zinfandel CA about $30 is soft, fleshy and very nicely balanced. Though not the least bit heavy or alcoholic, it offers a very round, olive-like umami generosity. 16/20 2023 Seghesio Sonoma County Zinfandel CA about $20 2018 Tehachapi Wine & Cattle Co. Tehachapi Mountain Reserve Primitivo CA about $60 Belies its age with an abundance of fine ripe fruit and big texture and a rich chocolate/cherry component. Classy as any Cab or Merlot. 16/20

SIXTH (Last) PLACE WINES

2023 Carnivor California Zinfandel CA about $8 Very light color. Warm climate? It is ripe, simple, juicy and perfectly pleasant, lush and drinkable but fails to offer anything to draw you in. 16/20 2022 Mini Mesa Paso Robles Zinfandel about $13

LOWEST SCORING WINE OF THE ENTIRE EVENT “TOTO AWARD” 2022 Cline Cellars Lodi Old Vine Zinfandel about $11 This is a wine I’ve always admired. I did not have a chance to taste it at the event so it is hard to say if it was a bad bottle or just not to the liking of those who judged it. It was recently rated 90 points and a Best Buy in the Wine Enthusiast. Hmmmm??

AFTERTHOUGHTS

I was hoping to see if, as my friend Dick Scheer suggested, the Coastal wines from Paso, Napa, Sonoma and even North, Central or South Coast would show up as more interesting than the bulk of the wines tasted here from Lodi and other Central Valley locations. Though wines like Lapis Luna (North Coast), Cantine San Marzano (Italian South Coast), Seghesio (Sonoma County), The Biker (Paso Robles) and even Bogle (from an island in the Sacramento Delta?) did offer a class and complexity that the Lodi wines did not, I’ll have to say I was also swayed by the massive ripe fruit and sheer power of those inland wines. Oak Ridge Winery seemed to really embody that spirit. I’m not surprised that the 2018 Tehachapi Wine and Cattle Company reserve wine did poorly even though it is really quite a stunning wine in its own right. Seven year old wines always score poorly here going back as many years as this event has been going on. The fact that it was the oldest wine tasted by several years, it is surprising and says something about its enduring appeal that it was not up for the Toto Award.

Enjoy in Good Health,

Brian Cain, the Michigan Vintner