Zin Q3/Q4 2006

Seghesio 2005 Sonoma, Zinfandel ($15 WC): (This was tasted at a restaurant at $20/375ml). Seghesio continually annoys me and this was no exception. Their wines usually tastes very good to fantastic, except at home, when they are always dissappointing. It has happened too often to be a coincidence.

1. Old Vines 2001 - WS 92, Thanksgiving out of town. Luscious. So good, I had to look up this wine when I got home. The beginning of the Seghesio curse. (We also tried the Justin 2001 Paso Robles, Cabernet which was one of the best cabs we've had in the last 5 years, so it was a trip with good wines thanks to P&S). I bought some Seghesio Sonoma Zin (I didn't want to pay the $20+ for the Old Vines) and it was not anything special.
   
2. The Sonoma 2002 ($15) is rated a huge WS 92, so I get 6 bottles. I've stopped drinking them because none of them have been that good. Leaner than I expect, and jammier than I want. I'm hoping they'll improve with age.
3. On a Sonoma wine tasting, we hit the Seghesio tasting room and have the $25 food appetizers and wine tasting. They serve some very high end wines (01 Old Vines, 03 Old Vines, 03 Venom, 99 Omaggio and the 99 Port) in a elegant wood paneled room. The snacks are diverse and high quality. Just a wonderful setting. And (of course) the wines taste fantastic. I joined their wine club (the Centennial Club).
   
4. Blind wine tasting at the Wine Club with different varietals from around the world. Among our favorites was the Old Vines 2003; a big rich flavorful with nice woody, spice tones. Bought a bottle (I'm now willing to pay the $27) and had it at home later that night. Disappointing of course.
5. Dinner last night. The 2005 Sonoma was quite nice. I'll buy a few bottles of course, curse be damned.
   
6. And surprisingly at the Seghesio tasting room, which is super nice, the wines didn't taste that good. Perhaps because it was morning. Perhaps I had tasted too much the night before. But none of the wines were that good. This is the first time, an external tasting of Seghesio has been unimpressive.
   

Buehler 2004 Zinfandel ($14?, WC): The 2003 got a 93 from WS, so I was looking forward to trying the 2004. It was disappointing. Interesting nose of woody, pruny, spicy nose with a similar subdued taste. I was hoping to let it breathe but I was tired and didn't get much tasting done. Tried the remaining half bottle (filled to the top and recorked) two days later. Still disappointing. Gentle stewed prunes. [D]