Cardinal Zin a Controvertial and Musical Zinfandel

Cardinal Zin is the epitome of a Zin with a fun name and a fun label.  In fact it’s so much fun that in 2001 it was banned in Ohio! 

OK, it wasn’t banned for being too much fun specifically.  It was banned because Ohio’s state code on wine labeling forbids “advertisement or representation portraying pictures of… children [or] religious subjects.”

 The label on this wine was designed by artist Ralph Steadman and it depicts a Cardinal.

Really??? Is this a reason to ban a wine?  That is crazy!  Clearly, 2001 was a slow year for the Ohio State Liquor Regulator.  Although it was banned back in 2001, I have seen it on shelves in Ohio recently.  Either the state regulators came to their senses or there are some rogue distributors ignoring this ban.  Shhhhhh.

Personally, the fact that it was banned makes me want to buy wine.  I am a staunch opponent of censorship and will often buy things just because they were banned.  And if I knew who was responsible for the ban I would litter his or her yard with my empty bottles.  I don’t know what good that would do, but for some reason the thought of it makes me feel good.

Anyway, I’m rambling with my fantasies of minor vandalism.  Is that even vandalism?  I think I’m actually fantasizing about littering.  Enough of this… on to the tasting.

In addition to having a fun and controversial label, this wine is quite good.

The Musicality of Cardinal Zin 

This is a nice zinfandel with bright, high-pitched aromas.  I tend to organize scents in my mind similar to different sounds. Some scents are high-pitched and some are thumping bass notes.  A full cabernet sauvignon often has a lot of bass, but this zinfandel is full of high notes and upper mid-range. 

Another analogy to put this into context is public restrooms.  I know it’s a gross analogy, but stay with me and this will all make sense.  We’ve all been in public restrooms where they have an air freshener, but it doesn’t seem to cover up the funk.  That’s because the scents from the air freshener are at the wrong frequency.  The funk in the restroom is typically a deep bass but the air freshener has a high-pitched tonality.  It’s like trying to drown out a woofer with a tweeter… it just doesn’t work.

So the aromas in this wine are a mostly high-pitched and mid-range.  Not a lot of bass.  This gives it a fresh and spicy character which is music to my tongue.  There are aromas of raspberry, strawberry, briar and violet… perhaps a touch of tarragon.  The aromas are intense but none of them are dominant, it’s very well balanced.  The smell makes me want to eat pasta with loads of garlic and basil.  I love pesto. 

The palate is full of fruit and spice.  More of the raspberry & strawberry that was in the nose.  Plus a bit of wet rock, leather and pepper.  The finish is exceptionally long with soft tannins. This is an outstanding wine for $15.99 and it earned a solid 90 rating.  I highly recommend it.

Wine: Cardinal Zin
Varietal: Zinfandel
Vintage: 2005
Alcohol: 14%
Rating: 90
Price Paid: $15.99