We have been fans of the Syrahs of Lagier-Meredith for the past few years, having visited them atop Mt. Veeder and tasted their wines along with the home-cured olives of Prof. (Emer.) Carol Meredith, co-owner of the winery with her husband Steve Lagier. In a recent mailer, they offered not only their latest Syrah but also a new release, a joint venture with their neighbors at Potts called "Chester's Anvil," an old vine Zinfandel from another neighbor's vineyard. Today, we got our shipment, so I opened up a bottle:
2007 Chester's Anvil Zinfandel nose: sappy, pencil lead, a hint of new oak, tart red berry fruit palate: medium body, taking on depth with air, bright acidity, deep fruitMuch in the vein of the recently opened Unti Zin, this wine displayed the fruit and varietal character of Zin, but had fine acidity and remained light on its feet. It showed a bit of alcohol, which isn't surprising at 15.5% ABV, but carefully avoided any sense of overextraction or heaviness. This was very much in the vein of Nalle, Dashe and other proponents of food-friendly Zin. Highly recommended at $24.00 retail.
Mark Lipton