Nota bene: The wines discussed in this post were all received as free samples from the Lodi-Woodbridge Winegrape Commission.
Sonadora over at Wannabewino.com challenged us to try Zinfandel with barbecue for Wine Blogging Wednesday 60. (Psst, Sonadora, I just added your site as a link. Care to reciprocate?) WBW is five years old, and I must say that just in the last few months I have come to conclude that Sonadora is one of the great wine bloggers and wine Twitterers out there. I read her blog regularly and follow her on Twitter. You should too. The fact she’s a fellow attorney is cool, but has little to do with my recommendation.
Anyway, Sonadora wants us to try Zinfandel with barbecue. Time for a confession (“Bless me, Father, for I have Zinned”–I had to get that in somewhere): we cheated on the barbecue. (We being Catherine and me.) We were tied up, couldn’t do a proper grilling, so we grabbed some carry out BBQ. Not quite as good as the real McCoy, but adequate for the experiment. The other part of the confession is that I tried six (yes, six) Zins, but only one with the BBQ meal. Sonadora, sue me if you deem it proper.
OK, enough rambling. Let’s get to the real information and review of the wines.
Zinfandel is a red wine grape of Croatian origin, known as Primitivo in Italy. It serves as the base for the somewhat sweet blush wine known everywhere as White Zinfandel. The Zinfandel grape itself is grown only in California in the US. It tends to produce big, chewy, high octane (high alcohol) wines. Some are fruit bombs of hedonistic nature, others are dense, complex wines deserving of intense study. White Zins may be a bit sweet and “sticky,” but the real Zinfandels are nothing like their “white” (actually pink) cousins.
The Zins I sampled for this month’s WBW all come from the Lodi area of California. This is an area basically south of Sacramento, near the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Lodi seems to be enjoying a renaissance, producing some wines that grab your attention. They are not quite to the quality of Napa or Sonoma, but they are far from crummy wines. They share some characteristics of dusty, earthy qualities, but have their own qualities as well.
First up is the m2 “Old Vine” Soucie Vineyard Lodi 2007. This wine features a dense garnet color, moderate earthy/spicy aromas, smooth tannins, a hint of alcohol on the finish, accompanied by a nice long-lasting flavorful finish. When we first re-opened this bottle this evening, it was pretty heavy on the alcohol, but after half-an-hour, the alcohol became less prominent. At US$28 MRSP, it may be a little overpriced, but not obscenely so.
Second up is the Bargetto Zinfandel Old Vine Lodi 2007. 
This wine has a nice moderate garnet color, moderate aromas of an earthy quality with leather, gentle tannins, balanced alcohol, and a nice long finish. At US$20 per bottle, this is a nicely priced wine with plenty of potential.
Third on the list is the Macchia Zinfandel “Oblivious” Lodi 2007. (Hey, Macchia guys–your web site’s “trade” section is empty, as is the site map. I’d like to feature a picture of the label, but I can’t get it.) This wine is an inky ruby color with moderate to powerful aromas of dark fruit. The tannins are gentle, all of the components are in balance, with a nice long finish. This one gets a “Wine For Newbies Choice” designation. At US$24 it may be overpriced by a dollar or two, but at that point we’re really quibbling here. I’d buy this one in a heartbeat.
Next up is the Mettler Vineyards Zinfandel “Epicenter” Lodi 2006. This wine shows as a nice, dense garnet with moderate aromas of menthol or eucalyptus. The tannins are gentle with a nice, long finish. Sporting a price tag of US$19, this is a good bargain.
The next wine is the Harney Lane Zinfandel “Lizzie James” Vineyard 2006. 
This wine is a winner, hands down. It has a nice garnet/ruby color with plenty of saturation. Remember the “Tinder Box” stores found in many shopping malls in recent history? The aroma coming out of those stores is very similar to what you’ll find in this glass. It is well-balanced, has firm tannins, and plenty of sophistication. It’s only fault is that it’s finish isn’t as long as I’d like (but it’s a medium length). This not only gets a Wine For Newbies Choice, it’s my number one selection. With a US$28 price point, it’s spot on in the market, and I’d order a case of this without any hesitation.
Finally we have the Michael David Gluttony “Old Vines” Lodi 2006. This wine has a nice garnet color, pine tree or eucalyptus aromas, smooth tannins, and a medium finish. The alcohol seems to be a bit dominant, which is unfortunate. At US$59, I think the wine is over-priced, but that’s just me. I enjoyed the wine, but not as much as the Harney Lane or the Macchia–and the price points for those are better values.
Were there any clunkers in this bunch? No, but there were definitely a couple of wines that were better values than others. I appreciate the donation of the Lodi folks to not only my enjoyment of these wines but the enhancement of this month’s WBW 60. I know there are a couple here that I’ll look for in the wine shops (or maybe even try to order direct). There are a few I won’t hunt down, but that’s OK. My tastes are not the same as yours, and not even the same as my wife’s. I’d encourage you to check these out and see what you enjoy. That’s what it’s all about, right? 
Many thanks to my colleague Sonadora for a great theme. I’m looking forward to reading what others have found and written about for this month’s WBW. Cheers!
