2013 THE ZIN by Cosentino Winery

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$17.99 (retail) Wine Club pricing reflected in receipt

We go way back with Cosentino Winery, all the way to the beginning of Carpe Vino when CigarZin, was my very first “ah-ha” experience. . .so this is how a great wine could taste!  As I recall, I was given a taste by a fellow diner at a restaurant in Davis, and I was absolutely blown away.  CigarZin actually did resonate with tobacco flavor, sweetened with overtones of chocolate.  It was smooth, spicy and wonderful.

And as it turned out, those were huge flaws, as was its $27 price tag.  The wine was so good, production was increased dramatically and after the first vintage (couldn’t have been more than 1,500 cases).

Mitch Cosentino founded his own label in Modesto in 1980.  Eleven years later, he sold the majority interest to the Larry and Edie Soldinger of Chicago, who expanded the winery and its operations significantly.  By 2010 during the height of the economic downturn, they went upside down and the winery was closed.

Today, Cosentino is going full bore, with operations in Lodi restored with a full line of “THE” wines.  This month, we bring you THE ZIN, a great daily drinker that represents a nod to the halcyon, early days of zin production in the valley.

BTW, CigarZin is still being produced to the tune of 20,000 cases annually.  You can find it at BevMo or a grocery store near you. . .but not at Carpe Vino.

Winery Tasting Notes:  “A prominent nose of clove, caraway and raspberry jam are followed with lively flavors of stewed cranberry and sweet cedar. Firm tannins meld into soft acidity; a wonderfully balanced zinfandel.”

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