Wiens 2009 Zinfandel ($19.99)
This was the only bottle of wine I brought back from Temecula. As I mentioned in the Pitt Wedding Recap, this was the 2nd stop of the day for me and Beth. We both really liked the atmosphere and vibe at Wiens, which I thought may have influenced my decision to buy a bottle. The 09 Zin was the first of the 8 or so wines we tried there. I liked it, thought it was a little light for a Zin, but figured it would be enjoyable. I also liked that at $20, it was the cheapest bottle of red on the tasting menu. Bonus.
We cracked this Saturday night with some pizza while babysitting Mr. James Jansen. We didn't need wine to get through the night, the kids were great, but this sure didn't make the evening worse.
We were both surprised at how much flavor the wine had. There was nothing light or delicate about it. It had a really nice, flavorful, raspberryish pop and a long spicy, yet smooth finish. I thought it was very similar to the Old Vine Sobon Zin that I've had a few times lately. I must say, it exceeded my expectations.
Grade: B+ / 3
Beth's Grade: B+
