1998 Deerfield Ranch Buchignani Vineyard, Dry Creek Valley

[hotwine]

Whooo-eeee, this be one powerful jug o' Zin! Full-bodied at 16% alcohol with hints of blueberries and No.1 pencil, it's smooth as a wee one's patootie. Gotta try to find more, but the odds aren't exactly in my favor with production at only 270 cases. The scalper joint charged $14.99 per, but for a change I'll call that a bargain. To accompany oak-grilled burgers if it lasts long enough. She stuck her nose in it, rolled her gorgeous big blues and sighed, "Wow!". That be her very highest compliment.

[hotwine]

Wow! After finishing this dude with burgers, she rolled her eyes and gave me my mission for the week: "You're to find at least one case of this stuff. At least one. You're authorized to buy two cases, if you can find them." That's never happened before. This, from a woman who scrutinizes her husband's Visa bills like they were cathouse receipts and knows *exactly* how much the old man spends each month on everything, especially wine.

Neglected to say this is from "old vines", planted in the 1940's. Never had a Zin like this before, folks.

[winoweenie]

Sonoma's full of old vine plantings that survived the merlot craze. With that % of alky it verges on a late-harvest. Thank goodness the grafters were so busy doing Chenin Blanc vines that the old zinfulls were spared, and now we be benefitting frum the results. I'll check with my connection here and see if'n it be available. Tipple On! WW

[hotwine]

Went back this morning and cleaned 'em out of this one. Had to cough up $22 per for 17 bottles, but like those babes in the commercial who are so proud of their hair, they're worth it.

[Drew]

How come you got the first bottle for $14.99 and the other 17 for $22? I'm cornfused.

Drew

[hotwine]

The first bottle was sale-priced to honor the winemaker, Robert Rex, who was visiting the retailer that day. I don't know what that retailer's normal price was (before he sold out), but the $22 was the price charged by the discounter I favor. Obviously, I should have bought more during the sale, but as it was, we came away with a case each of Syrah and SB, and two half-bottles of their late-harvest. I don't think we even tasted the Zin, because we're normally not big fans of that varietal. B-i-g mistake.

[Kcwhippet]

The price you got is fabulous. It's $35 at the winery. We've been there a few times and if you ever get out to Sonoma, it's a great visit. They sit you down right in their home to taste. BTW, Robert thinks the 98 is a lighter wine than the 97, so that gives an idea how he likes his wines.

[hotwine]

$35 at the winery?! I'll buy more if I can find it at $22, but the one retailer is already out, and the discounter is, too, after my visit. Might hit another big retailer tomorrow....hate to pay his danged prices!

[hotwine]

Pulled one of these to accompany smoked brisket and babybacks last night, to honor a weekend visit by daughter and her very serious boyfriend. The alcohol was still hot as a firecracker, but the fruit has all but disapeared. Hope it was an anomaly. Will need to try it with burgers again soon....could be that the sweet sauce on the ribs was too much for it.

[Thomas]

If I remember that wine correctly Hotsie, it was just shy of enough fruit power for sugar to dampen it. But of course, I am reaching for a memory bank that these days gets more and more elusive...

[hotwine]

Had another last night with buggers...er, burgers. Yee haw, what a per' lil thang! This one still had solid ripe fruit but no rough edges... a beautiful bottle of wine!

Saw a sign held up by a demostrator during the Prez' recent visit to the UK that said "Yee haw is not a foreign policy".

'Course it is. Ebberbody knows that!

[Kcwhippet]

Glad to hear it's still doing well. Must have been the sauce last April.

[Glass_A_Day]

The 2000 is out and selling for $17.99 at The Wine Club. Maybe I will mail order a couple and see if this wine is consistant.

[hotwine]

The winery's Website offers the 2001 for $40. See http://66.216.115.100/index.asp?PageActi...ID=67&HS=1

$17.99 would be a great price.

[hotwine]

Went through two bottles of this stuff with brisket, fancy spuds, salad and chocolate cake in honor of my rickety lil mom (92, 5' nothing and 80 lb). Self, wife, daughter & fiancee, sister & her hubbie had no trouble polishing off both jugs. Still a fabulous wine with sound yet more subtle fruit, no rough edges, and no heat from the prodigious alkie. Gorgeous stuff. Think I could spot three bottles remaining in the gloom of the cellar. Will seriously miss it when it's gone.

[hotwine]

Had another of these tonight with burgers, oven fries and Bush's baked beans. Fruit is finally fading into the sunset, leaving only a soft warm glow. No sediment, still dark and clean, but a mere shadow of its former self. As Bob Hope said, thanks for the memories.