Gold Hill Vineyard 2004 Zinfandel
$20
Rating: ♠ ♠ ♠ 1/2

Couple weeks ago I took you through my trip up through California’s “Zin Dorado” — the vine-laden strip of foothills along the state’s Highway 49, which abuts the mighty Sierra Nevadas.

Earlier this week I opened one of the wines I had tasted (and purchased), Gold Hill’s 2004 Zin. I’d been over at my lady-friend’s house and we were making spaghetti in meat sauce. We opened the zin and the first thing that hit us right out of the bottle was the strong black-fruit nose with its hint of spice. The first hit on the palate was berries and jam quickly followed by a strong black pepper middle that lingered long into the finish. It was perfect with our mild-spicy pasta.

Here’s the rub: next morning, even though we’d both brushed our teeth, I could taste those blackberries in my girl’s goodbye kiss.

Yowza, that! 

—Michael Mattis, Proprietor