2006 Ottimino Estate Vineyard Zinfandel.

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Mission Codename: Lucky Number 8

Operative: Agent Red

Objective: Return to Ottimino, a smash hit with our Zinfandel-loving Operatives. This time around, infiltrate their private library – and secure a stash of their best library Zin.

Mission Status: Accomplished

Current Winery: Ottimino

Wine Subject: 2006 Zinfandel Ottimino Vineyard – Russian River Valley

Winemaker: William Knuttel

Backgrounder: Zinfandel is often aptly namedCalifornia’s grape. Its history and lore and the wines that result are often the makings of legend. In this case, Starry Night’s winemaker selected the best old-vine grapes from a number of the Russian River’s best vineyards, many of which have been planted for nearly 100 years. The Russian River Valley is ideally suited for red grape varietals. Its early morning fog and coastal breezes result in a cooler climate than the neighboring wine growing regions. For today’s wine, Agent Red returns to Ottimino, to bring you their delicious, single vineyard Russian River Zinfandel, a wine that is bursting with flavor.

Zinfandel is related to the Italian Primitivo grape, tracing its origin to the Croatian grape Crljenak Kastelanski. Zinfandel is one of the most versatile varietals with the ability to make wines, both rich to fruity, dark to light, and dry to sweet. Russian River Valley Zins, which are characterized by their bold flavors, are among the most popular wines with our Operatives.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Darkest garnet, with a dark and slightly opaque center. Coloration is evenly concentrated, right out to the burgundy edge of the wine. After swirling, skinny, wine-stained tears move down the glass in an achingly slow manner.

Smell – Lush and very fragrant, with sweet blackberry jam, dark cherry candy, blueberry pastry, blackberry bramble, cocoa dust and dried cherry. These are closely followed by sweet chocolate, sweet brown spice, soft oak and a hint of dried fall leaves.

Feel – Smooth, cool and light across the front-palate. Then, as it passed the mid-palate, it becomes gently grippy, plush and mouth-coating. A soft dryness then eases its way around the palate, leaving behind flint and bright spice. Structured medium tannins and balanced acidity contribute to the complexity of the wine.

Taste – Darker than the sweet nose would lead one to expect, this wine is still juicy, delicious and bursting with flavor. Earthen blackberry, black cherry juice, black plum, blueberry and dark chocolate lead the way. These delicious flavors are followed by black tea leaf, espresso bean, oak, brown spice and black pepper.

Finish – Ultra long and lingering, with dark fruit slowly giving way to the earthy components of dried leaves, oak and tea leaf. After these flavors tail off, minerals, spice and black pepper take longer to disappear.

Conclusion – Of all of the Ottimino Zinfandels we have showcased, this one is our very favorite! Their 2006 Ottimino Vineyard Zinfandel delivers true Russian River greatness, at a price that makes the wine even harder to resist. Sweet and juicy on the nose, this wine is a pleasure to simply inhale. Sip the wine and be pleasantly surprised to find that it drinks more darkly than the nose had suggested. The feel is plush, with a crushed-velvet appeal that our tasting panel really enjoyed. The more you spin this wine in the glass, the more it opens up, revealing additional aromas and flavors. Pair with zesty BBQ or a thick grilled steak with plenty of salt and pepper. A medium dark chocolate is also a delicious treat with this delicious Zin.

Mission Report: