This is Part 4 of my Lodi Old Vines Zin series. Part 1 was Spellbound 2005, Part 2 was Ravenswood 2006 and Part 3 was Gnarly Head 2006.
Campus Oaks Old Vines Zinfandel 2007 Lodi
Producer: Campus Oaks (Gnekow Family Winery)
Grapes: 100% Zinfandel
Appellation: Lodi
Vineyards: The grapes are sourced from vineyards averaging 90 years old.
Winemaking/Aging: There is no indication of the oak treatment on the label or the winery’s website.
Alcohol: 14.5%
Price: I paid $14 at Central Market in Austin
My tasting notes: Whoa – the color on this is very light. It looks like a White Zinfandel that skipped a few showers. I literally could read the newspaper through it (trust me, I actually did it). Hmm, I’m worried. The nose has a nice raspberry creme note, but there’s a lot of sweetness coming through and a bit of the alcohol. On the palate, I get red fruit and even some overripe peach, wrapped in vanilla creaminess, but I find it soft and flabby and in need of some acid or tannic backbone. Definitely some residual sugar, too.
Overall assessment: Different strokes for different folks. This wine is not for me. D+
Free association: Seems like it would be a winner on a bachelorette party wine tour bus.
Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/clockwerx/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
More info:
Winery’s tech sheet for the 2006 vintage.
Mark over at 1337Wine TV tasted this wine recently.