This is a California zinfandel like Kiss is a rock band: If you’re gonna do it, you might as well go all-out. Huge black plum, currant, blackberry and pepper swirl around in a hedonistic 15.5% alcohol soup of a wine that’s so dark it’ll stain teeth faster than those fake blood packets Gene Simmons chomps.

It wasn’t very long ago that I recommended the hit single Hess Estate ’02 cabernet sauvignon. This ain’t no b-side. Consider this zin another solid radio jam and pick up both on your next shopping spree.

Open the Artezin while playing “Detroit Rock City” at an entirely too-loud volume. But be warned: at that alcohol level, you won’t be rock and rolling all night, nor partying every day. You’ll be rock and rolling part of the night and then napping.

Cheers,
TSW

Artezin: Clever name. Get it? Good.

Go get it. It’s good.

Really good, in fact. Even if it were just OK, it’d be good for $15, considering most zins these days are going through the sort of price inflation normally reserved for big-name concert tickets. Add to that a downright sexy label, and you’ve got a bargain of a wine.