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

Four Vines Zinfandel

2005
Old Vine Cuvee
Paso Robles, California

Highly recommend. Good value - will drink again.

Ok. Last night's wine was over the top expensive. So tonight, I'm back to the budget material. I thought this was a great wine for the price. This was a nice blend of blackberry, oak, and a nice woodsey-spice finish.

The Guy and I had Four Vines The Biker back in May of last year. It was very good, but much more pricey. (Incidentally, I hope to try Four Vines' line of Freakshow wines in the near future - I'm guessing they're pretty fab.) Although this is a different flavor than The Biker, I liked it quite a bit. The Guy purchased it and asked me to guess how much I thought he spent. I guessed $18.99 and was way off - too high. I couldn't believe it.

I enjoyed this very much on its own. I made chili and it tasted especially good with the smoked flavor in the chili. But after adding Habanero Cheddar to the chili (which was very strong and hot), the wine was a little drowned out. Later, the flavor returned as I began to blog and peruse E-mail.

Incidentally, The Guy said this wine had a tasting tag in the store that said it had a 90 rating - but he didn't know from what publication. I saw on-line while looking for a label to paste (because I broke my camera :( and can't take pictures of the bottles I drink from) this wine is listed under the 90+ ratings category.

On Christmas Eve at about the age of sixteen, I sat in front of the fireplace and Christmas Tree at my aunt's and was introduced to the works of Robert Frost, specifically, The Road Not Taken. It is one of those poignant memories I return to again and again in my life. I remember thinking that night: Will I know what road to take when the fork is in front of me? I sometimes wonder if it wasn't the "sign" I've looked for for so long, yet am continually unable to find. I'll never know why I didn't get the message that night to take the road that looks less easy. For I did not take "The Road Less Travelled" and have looked back at the fork ever since, forever wondering if the road not taken was the one that was meant to be. Or, does an extension of the same road reappear on the map some time in the future?

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that, the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I marked the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Robert Frost

8.5 out of 10
$10.99 / 750 ml. bottle
14.6% by vol.
http://www.fourvines.com/