Daou Vineyards Zinfandel Reserve

In prime drinking window.

Notes after following for two nights open and the second day it showed much better than the first. Dark hued ruby, 80% opaque with very slow, lightly-tinted legs. No sediment present. Profound kirsch and bramble, blackberry pie, maple liqueur, and dirt aroma. Smooth texture and the tannins are relatively plush for a Zin; sweet but with good grip. Clean, dry, and persistent finish. First night it seemed like the fruit was actually sliding over the hill, but it obviously just …

This needs a long decant of 2-3 hours or more time. Poured and tasted over 2 hours and it barely started showing any zin fruit profile. No rating

Ruby red color. Not jammy at all, somewhat dry with tannins that will allow it to age. Will wait another year at least before opening next bottle. Good wine with some complexity, but poor QPR at this price point.

Even better the second night.

Okay, but certainly not for this much money.

Pre-Hospice du Rhone 2012; 4/25/2012-4/27/2012 (Paso Robles, CA) : Translucent ruby garnet in the glass. Reticent nose. Ripe berry fruit, but on the restrained side of Zin for my palate with a coffee nuance. Okay.