Every time I speak the name of this wine, I hear Arnold Schwarzaneggar’s voice…..
That I must get past. There are many things “wrong” about this wine, from the name, to the hideous label, and even the bizarre closure that is half screw cap, half cork, but what’s not wrong in any way, is the wine inside the bottle.
Upon opening, the room is filled aromas of flowers, violets, eucaplyptus and that trademark zinfandel berry aroma. The violet colored wine is very pretty to look and makes its presence on the palate with a solid core of wild berry fruit, slight licorice, flowers, spice and pepper. Good acidity and pleasing tannins make this juicy, spicy red ready to go. The one difference I noticed with this wine, since I’m so familiar with Dry Creek Valley Zinfandels, is the complete absence of that powdery dustiness; that tactile sensation was conspicuously absent. That’s not a knock, just an observation on how the two terroirs are different.
The best part here, this wine is an absolute steal at the $7 price tag. Seriously? Yes….it’s well worth trying and stocking up if you like it. 87 points.
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| 2011 Plungerhead Zinfandel, Lodi, CA |
John, sounds like they're getting better:-)
Dennis,
It is what it is. A straightforward pretty wine that goes down easily. Maybe my expectations are lowered when I try something this inexpensive, but I knew Bill had liked it in the past, that's why I gave it a shot. The bottle looks awful…I see that and think, it's hard to take the product seriously – they have to fix that.
But for a fruity house red that will appeal to the masses…this will keep the relatives out of the Eurocave over Christmas. Then again, so will my lock. 🙂
Plungerhead does make a Dry Creek Zin. I think it's considerably better than the Lodi bottling.
I bet it is Bill. That I've not seen. And the label is totally different correct?