Tonight, Jean went out to dinner with a visiting speaker while I was in a meeting. Knowing our speaker to be a Zin fan, she decided to bring one to the restaurant and I dutifully obliged by pulling one from the cellar. Fortunately, I was able to briefly stop by the restaurant to sample the wine en route to my meeting.
1999 Franus Planchon Vineyard Zinfandel nose: dark berryish fruit, tar palate: mouthfilling, rich, deep fruit, tarry, balancedWow, this was one of those monster Zins, all right, but what was notable was that it didn't feel heavy at all. There was just enough acid present to keep the wine in balance, despite its big size. Quite nice for an aperitif, but I'm not sure what food I'd serve with it. Good for another few years, too, I'd say.
Mark Lipton