Zonin 2006 Ripasso + Lineshack 2012 Cab (Italy / USA)
08 Feb 2015- Details
- Category: Uncorked Tonight
(December 6, 2014) ... I once heard that Ripasso is not a wine for ageing, it is a wine to be enjoyed now; but I have experience with plenty of ripasso wines that, although not "fresh" in the purist sense of the word, are fabulously interesting both on the nose and the palate. Such was the case with this 8 year old Zonin 2006 Ripasso della Valpolicella Superior. It started off with lots of coffee bean and baked / spiced plum, along with a touch of burnt cherry. With time the coffee bean subsided and was replaced by cassis, spiced-blackberry and oak nuances - then it finished oaky and spicy with those spiced berries making a reappearence along with a pleasant linger ... All-in-all it was quite nice for its age.
On the same night I cracked the Zonin I also opened up a Lineshack 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon from California. I'd have to say it's pretty typical Cali-Cab: lots of chocolate, blackberry, cassis, mocha, showing some alcohol heat mid-palate (its only drawback), but otherwise a rich fruit and spice fill Cab. With time in glass the wine developes a raspberry jam and gentle white pepper quality with a finish that has just enough tannin heft to keep it interesting. If memory serves it's well-priced for what you get.
(December 3, 2014) ... Both of these wines are a recent vintage so it would seem silly to saddle them with a Taste it Again review, so best tell you what is going on in the bottle, starting with the Hinterland 2011 Blanc de Blanc: nose is vanilla with biscuits and green apple, a true sniffing pleasure when it comes to bubbles. Palate doles out buttered toast notes along with lemon zest and pith, which helps to combine the dry, bitter and sweet elements within the wine ... And we call that balanced.
