We enjoyed this great, deep, and fruitilicious Hartford Family Zinfandel with Swedish meatballs and lingonberry sauce, along with our neighbor who made wonderful spaetzle to along with the main. This Zin has legs, earth, and depth to it. Not slight in its alcohol content, this one checked in at 14.8% (ABV), but perfectly balanced. No sense of heat from the alcohol. There's an oaky aspect to the noise that may fool some into thinking it's slightly corked; it's not. Then push through the bramble notes, and you discover notes of root, licorice, and wet earth. After 30 minutes it was pumping out wild blackberry on forest soil notes, but never really revealed its full depth. And it has me stumped; drink now, or wait? I'm going to leave the other 3 bottles alone for a year or two, then try again. Great stuff, and from centenarian grapes in the Highwire Vineyard.
90/100 -- a Cali Zin that makes you think.
