There’s a purity of raspberry fruit that is rarely found, and if it is, it’s usually all you get (a one-dimensional wine). With this winner, you get the complexity of an old vine zin, with the bright fruit of a much younger wine.

Sadly, however, there wasn’t a whole lot else of note early on. The longer it was open, the better it got (and vanillin oak really started to shine), but I eventually called it a night with a little over half a bottle left.

That turned out to be a very good thing. The next evening, I had a much bigger wine, having benefited from some time with air. The fruit and oak were both more intense. The pepper was enough to tickle your nose.

The big question here, though, is whether or not this zin is worth $24. Well, part of the reason for this review is that the price may be much less of a factor than it once was.

At a chain store here in California, this beautiful red was a buck above half price. Yep, a mere $12.99 – which is an amazing steal. A steal in that “the more bottles I buy, the guiltier I feel” sorta way.

At that price, get over your pangs of guilt. Even at the full price, it’s worth grabbing a bottle.

But of course, keep on the lookout for the sale price. (Yeah, like you wouldn’t.)

Cheers,
TSW

This is the tallest bottle Wilder on Wine has opened all month! Luckily, that’s not the only praise we have for it. I just thought it was worth mentioning so that you know to save space for it in your cupboard with the most space from the back to the door. (Because you will keep it lying down in a dark, cool place until you drink it… right?)

This top heavy bottle of fun has a lot of charm, and it’s not all from the high alcohol and sheer concentration (black color, black fruit flavor) that a lot of zins are relying on of late. Just give it a little time to really impress you -- about 30 minutes to be exact.

At first pour, the nose showed all the ripe berry fruit you hope to get from a Dry Creek zin. It’s big and sweet-smelling and sprinkled with just enough pepper. Yes, it’s powerful, but there’s some finesse, too.

Problem was, the palate didn’t match the nose. The taste immediately after opening was light and lovely, but didn’t have the power evident in the bouquet.

Give it a half hour, and you’ve got a whole new taste sensation. Well, mostly a new taste sensation. It’s still a little lean, but it really gains body, acidity and some tannin.