2007 Saviez Vineyards Napa Valley Zinfandel

Well, you know I love a good Zin, especially in summer when it's time for barbecue or other outdoor cooking events, and the bottle I opened this evening has developed somewhat of a cult following among my fellow office wine club members.  We were first turned on to this wine quite by accident when we ordered a case for a wine club selection of the 2004 vintage and it wasn't a huge hit among the broad group, but there were about 4 or 5 of us that just could not get enough of this wine!  So we ordered again when the '05 and '06 vintages came out, and then we were saddened to learn when WTSO offered the '07 vintage that the winery had gotten into financial trouble and was auctioned off by the bank!  Holy Grapes of Wrath!  We had 4 good vintages of this wine to enjoy, though I've only previously reviewed the '04 (see here: 2005 Saviez Zinfandel).

This wine has a super, deep ruby color in the glass, with the slighted bit of purple around the edges.  The nose oozes (hmm...oozing nose, better get that checked out) with rich fruit, black currant, plum, and jammy blackberry along with lovely aromas of leather, tobacco and cedar.  It's the sort of wine that gives your brain a slap in the head to make sure it's ready for what's about to be unleashed.  The wine itself is very fruit forward and almost jammy in the concentrated fruit, giving way to a lovely bit of green grass, wild herbs and chocolate midpalate.  The finish is wonderfully long and smooth, as the tannins provide a nice structure and balance for the initial wave of fruit.  This really is the sort of wine I could just sip all day long...do I have to work tomorrow?

Overall, I think this wine is even better than the '04 and '05 vintages I've tasted before, so I would rate this one a solid 8.5, even though this one was probably the most expensive at $18.  Tonight I am enjoying this with a nice rare Angus T-bone, some grilled corn and steamed heirloom carrots, which ironically is very similar to what I paired with the '05!  We got this one from WTSO, and they warned then that this might be the last of it, so if you can find it anywhere, grab a bottle!