Sipping Zinfandel on a Warm Spring Evening

It's a humid Sunday evening: May Day, to be precise. After a day of nothing in particular, other than daydreaming about good food and wine and watching the rain, now is the perfect time to relax, put my feet up, and sip a reasonably priced Zinfandel. 


Tonight I'm drinking a Cline 2009 Ancient Vines Zinfandel (regularly priced $18.99 at my local grocery store, bought on sale for $15.99). 


Vintage: 2009
Wine Type: Red Wine
Varietal: Zinfandel
Appellation: California
Alcohol %: 15.0%


This is a nice Zin for the money; a wine to savor with or without food on any old occasion. Some California Zins are incredibly sweet or tart berry-fruity reds, with characteristic aromas of strawberry, raspberry or cherry; others show strong hints of coffee, leather, chocolate, and/or vanilla; still others are on the zesty, spicy side, tasting of tannins. Zin grapes have been planted in nearly every wine region in California, with eight sites predominant, and Cline hails from the Lodi region. Cline is known for making great, affordable Zins.


Cline's 2009 Ancient Vines Zinfandel is a mild, full-flavored Zin, offering, for less than $20, tastes of strawberries, vanilla, and coffee, with a subtle chocolate aftertaste. It leaves an unexpected velvety smoothness on the tongue. Try taking a sip or two, as I did, and swirling it around in your mouth. Yum. No tartness or heavy tannins at all. In my experience, this is fairly unusual for a reasonably priced, fruit-driven Zin. 
Because my place is quite a bit hotter than a typical wine cellar at the moment, I popped my bottle in the fridge for 15 minutes before opening and pouring myself a glass. This is a wine to enjoy now or cellar for a year or two. 


GAW Rating: 3/5  (a good everyday Zin, well worth the $16-18 price tag)


You can purchase Cline wines pretty much everywhere, including higher-end grocery stores and boutique wine shops. You can also browse the wine collection on their website and order a bottle or two.