TWO REVIEWS // OLD ZIN VINES ZINFANDEL // MACMURRAY PINOT NOIR

TWO REVIEWS // OLD ZIN VINES ZINFANDEL // MACMURRAY PINOT NOIR

OZV Zinfandel comes from the Oak Ridge Winery in Lodi, California. For this review I tasted the 2012 OZV (Old Zin Vines), which is actually a blend of 96% Zinfandel and 4% Petite Sirah.
This wine’s grapes come from 50 – 100 year old Lodi vines.
Lodi is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) in California that is well known for its old vine Zinfandel. The Oak Ridge Winery was founded in 1934 and recently transformed by Rudy Maggio and Don and Rocky Reynolds.
OZV Zinfandel has won several 90+ awards over the years, including 95 points, Gold at the California State Fair.
In the glass, this wine is light plum in color with garnet reflections. It showed many medium sized legs on the sides of the glass.
Aroma of the OZV Zinfandel was strong and enjoyable. It reminded me of two things. First, blackberry jam. Second, the smell of a jelly filled chocolate candy. Like you’d find in a box of chocolates.
There was also a muted whiff of alcohol in the aroma. Alcohol content of OZV Zinfandel 13.95% per the tasting notes.
The wine’s taste carried the aroma forward. Noticed were jammy flavors and mocha. This wine’s taste is quite rich and sweet compared to other Zinfandels you might try.
Mouthfeel was creamy. Soft tannins were noticed on the sides of the tongue.
Finish of the OZV Zinfandel was very long and lingering. The sweetness lasted on the palate for quite some time.
Overall, although I was surprised by the sweetness of this wine, I really liked it! It’s very different and will definitely appeal to the current “dark” flavor trend in Red Wines these days.
It’s almost on its way to a port or dessert style wine, in term of its flavor. I would suggest sipping this on its own versus trying to pair it with a specific food. However, OZV recommends pairing it with Memphis-style BBQ ribs or Pepperoni Pizza. So, give that a shot!
OZV Zinfandel price about $13.00 – $14.00. Recommend!

MacMurray Pinot Noir
MacMurray Pinot Noir comes to us from the Central Coast region of California, USA. For this review, I tasted the MacMurray Ranch Pinot Noir, Central Coast, 2012.
On the back of the bottle was an interesting story about the history of the MacMurray Ranch. Back in the 1940’s, the MacMurray Ranch was purchased by actor Fred MacMurray (of My Three Sons fame). He farmed it and raised cattle there for fifty years.
Now, the ranch is home to the vineyards from which MacMurray creates their wine.
Alcohol content of MacMurray Pinot Noir 14.8% by volume, per the bottle.
MacMurray Pinot NoirIn the glass, this wine exhibits colors of light plum and cherry. A good amount of light shines through, as would be expected for a Pinot Noir. Legs are fairly wide and thick. But, not overly numerous.
On the nose, I sensed aromas of cherry and maybe a hint of vanilla. It’s an enjoyable aroma with little noticeable alcohol, even for a 14.8% wine.
Taste of the MacMurray Pinot Noir was of more cherry and a little bit of tobacco . But, mostly just classic Pinot Noir which to me has its own unique flavor.
The wine’s finish was fairly long lasting. Mouthfeel was of cotton. This wine is pretty dry for a Pinot Noir. It’s similar to the dryness and mouthfeel you’d find in a typical Cabernet Sauvignon.
Overall, I found this wine to be very enjoyable. I especially liked the “pure Pinot” taste and the bit of similarity to the dryness of a Cabernet.
This wine would go great with grilled or roasted chicken or turkey. Recommend!
Price paid for MacMurray Ranch Pinot Noir 2012 was $18.99. A little pricey but definitely worth it, in this case.

The post OZV Zinfandel Review appeared first on Honest Wine Reviews.

The post MacMurray Pinot Noir appeared first on Honest Wine Reviews.