Wine of the Week: Buehler Zinfandel

Zinfandel is a varietal that is horribly overlooked. Many people bypass the Zinfandel aisle for the more common red varietals (i.e. – Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Merlot, etc). However, as I covered in the Cab rules supreme article from last month, there are a lot of quality, unique wines that get looked over.

Zinfandel is the one grape that US consumers should really embrace. For many years it was considered to be California’s only native grape. Although DNA research has shown that it is Croatian in origin, there is no doubt that Napa and Sonoma County winemakers have perfected this varietal. Besides this, Zinfandel is also very food-friendly, easy to drink by itself, bold and overall inexpensive! The best Zinfandels will typically run you $30-40, while there are plenty of mediocre Cabernets and Merlots that start at $30-45. I hope you heard that Stag’s Leap and Duckhorn!

I will now step down from my soapbox and offer you my recommendation.

2007, Buehler, Zinfandel, Napa Valley - $19

The aroma lofts pleasantly of cherry and strawberry along with some slight herbal notes. It awakens the palate with jammy strawberry, raspberry and blackberry flavors. It has a very supple body with nice warmth and a long, flavorful finish. This wine pairs perfectly with BBQ and grilled foods, as well as a nice steak. Gary Vaynerchuk will be happy with this Zinfandel as it is not an Oak Monster!

Wine Spectator gives the 2007 Buehler a 90 and I give it a 91. It is not an overly complex wine, but the generous jammy fruit and long finish that it offers is terrific.

The next time you are out, look for this wine or the 2007 Seghesio Family Zinfandel from Sonoma (if you can find it!) . Your taste buds will thank you!

Wine of the Week: Buehler Zinfandel

Wine of the Week: Gemtree "Uncut" Shiraz

2007, Gemtree Uncut, Shiraz, McLaren Vale, Australia - $20-25

Gemtree is a very young, hip, organic boutique winery from one of Australia’s most renowned Shiraz regions. It was launched in 1998 and has since been led by winemaker Mike Brown, who joined Gemtree from the terrific wine producer d'Arenberg.

Due to a severe draught in 2007, the wines of their Uncut blocks ended up being very powerful and of very low yields. For those of you not familiar with what goes into growing a wine grape, years of very little rain can be terrific for wine. During a draught, vines are forced to fight for every bit of moisture. This struggle to survive leads the vines deeper into the earth and contributes to a wines complexity. Also, grapes during these years are very concentrated due to the fact that they are not diluted with an abundance of water.

The 2007 Uncut is a very powerful, berry forward wine of very deep color. On the nose you get some ripe blueberry and cherry which is mirrored on the palate. After that initial hit of berries you then may get the hints of oak imparted by the barrel aging. The acidity and mild tannins truly shine through. Due to its structure and acidity, this is a very food friendly wine. These are the reasons I selected this for the wine list at Juniper's at the Wildflower Inn (Lyndonville, VT).

Wine Spectator has not rated the 2007 as of yet, but past vintages have scored out in the 88-92 range. I feel that this wine is a very solid 92 point Shiraz, which would also make it a terrific value!

Wine of the Week: Gemtree "Uncut" Shiraz