Sunday, January 2, 2011

Four Vines Zinfandel



The Sophisticate
Paso Robles
2008
Sonoma County, CA

The first night we had this, which I believe was on Christmas Eve, I SO loved it that I couldn't stop commenting on it. My brother brought a couple of bottles along with many others. As we had only so many days and so many wines to try, we didn't get to the second bottle. He, very kindly, left the second unopened bottle with me upon his departure.

I kept it to have with a roast turkey on New Years Day. It just WASN"T the same - I HATE that!!!! I raved about the first bottle. Over the years I have found that red zins accompany turkey nicely so I couldn't wait to open the second bottle with our New Year's Day dinner. And it was good. It just wasn't as good as the first night. I don't know why. The food was different for sure. However, I had a glass prior to food BOTH times and the first time surpassed the second. Reason unknown.

Now, on New Years Day, I did open a bottle of Bogle's Phantom which we enjoyed while I was preparing dinner. I must say, The Sohpisticate then paled in comparison following in the footsteps of the smokey smooth flavors of Phantom. THAT said, I had another bottle of Phantom tonight that was just as disappointing the second time around as The Sophisticate was the second time around. Both Phantoms were the SAME vintage. I had both with no food at first. Totally perplexing!!!

As this review is for The Sophisticate I am going to go with my first impression with the first bottle. It was delicious. It was very smooth, with a lingering vanilla and oak finish.

You don't look at Daddy the way I look at Noah. You don't touch or laugh. You don't play. You don't know anything about love.

---character of Allie in The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks

8.25 out of 10
14.8% alc. by vol.
$20 / 750 ml. bottle

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