2005 Caparone Zinfandel

DATE CONSUMED

Sunday, June 30, 2013

VINTAGE

2005

WINERY/PRODUCER

Caparone

WINE NAME

N/A

TYPE OF WINE

Red

COMPOSITION

100% Zinfandel

SUBNAME/NICKNAME

N/A

VINEYARD DESIGNATION

Estate grown and bottled

REGION/APPELLATION/A.V.A. (American Viticultural Area)

Paso Robles, California

ALCOHOL CONTENT

13.3%

PRICE PAID

Retail price: $14; Price paid because I buy this wine by the case(s): $12.01

WHERE/WHEN BOUGHT AND/OR HOW PROCURED

We bought a case of this wine (I ALWAYS buy cases of Caparone wine whenever we’re in or driving by Paso) in November 2012

BOUQUET

This wine has a very earthy, acidic, spicy, red-fruited bouquet.  This wine smells like it’s going to be a rustic, classic, austere Italian-styled red wine.  And based on the fact that I’ve had several vintages of Caparone’s Zin, I would just about guarantee that that’s exactly what it’s going to taste like!

 

TASTING NOTES

We discovered Caparone in October 2007 when we went on a wine trip to the Paso and Santa Barbara wine countries with friends (we rented a beach house in Cambria for a week and went all OVER Paso Robles for 3 or 4 days). 

Caparone is not your typical Paso winery.  It is a father and son operation, very unassuming/not pretentious, and in addition to their fabulous Zin, they also make FANTASTC bottlings of three noble Italian varietals (Sangiovese, Nebbiolo, and Aglianico).  Their wines are unfined and unfiltered (which I REALLY like/prefer) and all their wines are the same price ($14).  In case you hadn’t noticed, their Zin is not your typical Paso Fruit Bomb; Caparone’s Zin has only 13.3% alcohol, is unbelievably well-balanced, and has a depth-of-flavor that most Cali Zins would envy.  The tasting profile is also atypical of most Paso Zins.

Whereas most Cali Zins have a black fruit profile, Caparone’s Zin has mostly, if not all, red fruit in its flavor profile; there’s sour cherry, raspberry, and currant fruit, along with a MOUNTAIN of savory herbs (rosemary especially) and a universe-worth of black pepper as well on the palate.  This wine is rich and viscous, exhibiting more terrior than 99.9% of any/all wines I’ve ever tasted.  Also contributing to its fabulous earthy/terrior essence, Caparone’s wines are unfined and unfiltered, which, in my opinion, allows the vineyard’s soil and essence to shine brightly.  I’ve always felt that fining and filtering wine extracts critical elements (both flavor-wise and terrior-wise) from its profile, and this Zin SCREAMS depth-of-flavor and terrior.  I’ve used the term “dirty” wine many times before (wines that parlay their sense-of-place (terrior) as well as earthiness) and this is one dirty wine (in only the best of ways)!!

Once again, this is NOT your typical Paso Zin.  Whereas most Paso Zins are high-octane fruit bombs with limited depth and soft, silky tannins, this wine is rich, creamy, earthy (“dirty”), spicy-beyond-belief, delicious-beyond-belief, viscous, slightly oaky, with a depth-of-flavor that never seems to cease and a finish that goes on for light years.  It is also tannic and acidic, but in only the best of ways; this wine begs to be paired with good food, whereas a typical Cali Zin can be drunk on its own.  If you’re adventurous and well-versed on what a good, interesting, not-your-father’s Zin should be like, you really owe it to yourself to give this Zin a try.  If you prefer safe, fruity, high-alcohol Zins, look elsewhere.  If you like to challenge your preconceptions of what a Zin can/should be, and you’ve had it up to HERE with typical Zins, you truly must give this Zin a spin.  It’s fabulous.

PAIRING SUGGESTIONS

We paired this wine with Arthur’s fantastic baked beans and BBQ’d pork ribs (baby backs) and this Zin could NOT have gone any better with this meal.  Because this Zin is big, bold, and brash (yet well-balanced, different, and elegant in its own way), I would pair it with dishes that can handle that kind of character, such as a heavily-spiced grilled steak, curry dishes, just about any kind of red beef dish, and something as traditional as BBQ’d ribs or hamburgers (especially on the 4^th of July!!!).

AGING POTENTIAL

Most Zins are not known for their age-worthiness, but due to this beauty’s structure (acidity and tannins especially), I would imagine this wine would continue to evolve and mature beautifully for another 10 to 25 years.  At close to eight years post-harvest, this wine is drinking fantastically right now.  And like all of Caparone’s wines (especially their wonderful Italian reds), this wine will probably age perfectly for 20 to 30 years after bottling.

One side note: the 2005 Zin is Caparone’s current Zin release (this is not a wine I bought YEARS ago).  I don’t know if Caparone makes a TON of Zin and it takes years to sell through their vintage(s) or if they purposely and slowly bottle-age their wine and slowly release it to the public.  Either way, if you’re looking to pick-up a well-aged and unique  Paso Zin for an incredible price, you only have one winery to visit: Caparone!

SCORE (on a 100-point scale)

92

Q.P.R. (QUALITY-TO-PRICE RATIO) (POOR, FAIR, GOOD, EXCELLENT)

EXCELLENT

WINERY WEBSITE

http://www.caparone.com/