August Briggs, Old Vine Zinfandel, Calistoga

I missed this bottle in the cellar for a while and now thought it might spoiled. It is past its prime , but definitely drinkable

Not at all overdone, primary Zin fruit of excellent purity, and nicely savory underneath it to keep it from tasting confected. Well-managed alcohol. Some aromatic sweetness from a bit of American oak - I think the 35% new oak on this is a mixture of American and French. Drinking nicely now but may well have something more profound to offer at 10 years of age. Not quite in the same league as some of the great California Zinfandels but this …

Tasting beautifully, slight cocoa notes with subtle black fruit and a finishing zing of pepper. Often don't care if I use a Zin glass or bordeaux glass but for this one the Zin glass makes a definite difference to smooth out the edges. Would enjoy now and maybe another year.

Worth the wait!!!

Not a big Zinfandel fan but I enojed this with a bbq, nice mix of blue fruit, perfum spices, dust and cedar, quite an interesting palate with upfront fruit that mellows mid palate and pops again on the finish, as big as the wine is the heat does pop up from time to time