Renwood 2000 Old Vine Zinfandel - Wine Review
June 3, 2008
I recently picked up a Renwood 2000 Old Vine Zinfandel and last night I had my way with it, all of it. Gone. I have to say it was pretty good. It definitely has an intense taste of what can be described as a rich dark chocolate along with dark cherry. This wine has nice slick almost velvety feel in the mouth and combined with a lush tinge of an alcoholic aroma makes the wine burst with flavor. After you are content with a couple glasses, the finish of the wine lasts for a good while hints of dark cherry and blackberry linger in your mouth. Definitely one of the better ones I have had in my time and if you are lucky enough to come across a bottle, I recommend you pick it up. Cheers!!
Notes on the Vinters website has about this wine:
I did some searching online and because this was an older bottle, I was not able to find any specific notes for this vintage. However, the Renwood Old Vine Zinfandels are noted for have a bouquet that consists of cranberry, allspice, nutmeg and blackberry. Also, The flavor has been described as a ripe berry fruit followed by a mix of holiday spices while finishing with chalky tannins and vanilla bean from the oak that it is aged in.
Wine Region: Amador County
Type of Wine: Red
Grape Type: Zinfandel
Country Where Produced: U.S. - California
Cost to You: $20
Rating: 4 out of 5
Malolactic Fermentation
March 31, 2008
Can you tell me what malolactic fermentation is and what does it do? - Don in Gulfport, MS
Malolactic fermentation is a process where the tart malic acid is converted to a softer tasting lactic acid. Think of malic acid like the taste of green apples which is then converted into lactic acids, an example being the creamy, soft acids in milk. This process can occur at any time during or after the normal wine fermentation process.
It is generally thought to enhance the body and flavor and in turn produces soft and fuller wines. Many wine makers also feel that better a integration of the fruit and oak character is achieved if malolactic fermentation occurs during the time the wine is in barrel.
Yet, not all wines will benefit from this with Riesling being a perfect example. The best wines that get the most out of this process are full bodied dry whites and medium to full bodied dry reds. With these types of wines, malolactic fermentation is sometimes encouraged. The simple and practical reason being is that this process can spontaneously happen even after the wine has been bottled.
So Don, being curious as all wine virgins should be helps you to learn little bits of wine trivia here and there, making you appreciate how incredibly complex and time consuming creating a stable wine really is. Cheers!!
Something Leesy
March 4, 2008
Would you please tell me what leesy means? - Martha in Crandon, WI
Leesy is a term referring to when a wine maker lets the wine sit on the lees for a longer period than normal during the wine fermentation process. As a primer, for those newly christened virgins out there, wine lees are a sediment consisting of dead yeast cells and other solid matter such as grape pulp etc.
Some wines are aged for a time on the wine lees which is a process known as sur lie and from there gives way to the term “leesy”. This produces a distinctive yeasty aroma and can actually give the wine extra flavor and body. Eventually the lees must be removed by racking the wine. As the sediment collects at the bottom of the container the wine is siphoned or poured off into a clean container before it is finally bottled.
If the wine sits too long on the lees if can ruin the flavor and aroma but most importantly, leaving it sit too long without racking will allow the formation of hydrogen-sulfide gas, this basically yields a smell like rotten eggs and after that you may as well just throw it out.
When you sit down after a long day to enjoy a glass of your favorite wine, stop to think about all the time and effort that has been invested in creating this wonderful elixir and really let your mouth savor all the aromas and flavor that high quality wines bring.
What is Port Wine?
February 21, 2008
Wine Virgin I was wondering if you could tell me what is port wine? Is it all wine from Portugal that is what one of my friends says but when I had some port recently it sure seemed to have a bit of a kick. - Matt in Florida
Well Matt your friend’s claim is somewhat grounded in fact but also way off at the same time and that extra kick you mention is something that can get a wine virgin or anyone for that matter into trouble if they are not careful.
You see port is a sweet Portuguese, fortified wine from the Douro Valley in the northern provinces of Portugal. Port is often served as a dessert wine. Wines in the style of the Portuguese product called port are also produced around the world in several countries-most notably Australia, South Africa, India, Canada and the United States.
Port is produced from grapes like all wines at least initially. The wine is then fortified with much higher alcohol product made from distilled wine (quite often cognac). The goal of this and the effect is to boost the alcohol content. Port wine is stored and aged, often in barrels and stored for quite a long time before being bottled.
I dearly love a good port but you had better not make the virgin mistake of treating port like chardonnay or you just might wake up regretting the night before in more ways then one. Try a small glass of Port after a big meal in place of desert some time especially after a nice steak or chops.