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BIG, BOLD ZIN!  That’s how Rancho Zabaco characterizes their wines.  And we checked out two of the Zinfandels they produce.  There’s a good chance you’ll see at least one of these Zins on the Zinfandel shelf at your local wine shop as Rancho Zabaco doesn’t do much other than Zinfandel.

They have a couple other varietals, but Zinfandel is what Rancho Zabaco is known for and it’s their Zinfandel that we shall drink!  These are big and bold.  They good examples of what you would expect from a California Zinfandel.

Dancing Bull

This is a very quaffable wine, although not as complex as I would like in a zin. The nose is pure cherry cola.  Surprisingly, I kind of liked that about it.  The palate is just shy of being a fruit bomb.  It has very jammy blackberry and cherry flavors.  The tannins are soft—it could stand to be a touch more tannic.  There is a hint of black pepper in the finish, given it a bit of spice but I wouldn’t characterize this as a spicy Zinfandel.  Overall this is an enjoyable bottle of wine for the price.

Wine: Rancho Zabaco Dancing Bull
Varietal: Zinfandel
Vintage: 2005
Alcohol: 13.9%
Rating: 84
Price Paid: $8.99

Sonoma Heritage Vines Zinfandel

As they say, this is BIG.  With a whopping 15% alcohol level, this one is rather intense.

There is an enjoyable smokey nose on this one with cherry, blackberry, walnut and spice.  The palate is quite tannic and fruity.  It’s somewhat jammy with blackberry and cherry flavors.  It’s much more fruity than spicy, but it’s not too sweet.  The finish is full of walnut with berries and a hint of chocolate.  It’s a decent zin, but it’s nothing extraordinary.

It has a bit more complexity than the Dancing Bull, but it’s not significantly better.  Given the choice, I’d prefer to save a few bucks and go with the Dancing Bull.

Wine: Rancho Zabaco Sonoma Heritage Vines
Varietal: Zinfandel
Vintage: 2005
Alcohol: 15%
Rating: 86
Price Paid: $11.99