Wicked zins
New World wine regions, lacking indigenous grapes of their own, are obliged to plant European varieties. As a result, many of their wines have a certain sameness. California, however, is fortunate in this regard, in having Zinfandel.
The grape is not truly indigenous. It was brought over in the 19th century and is said to be related to the south Italian Primitivo variety - although no one is certain - and it has developed a strong local personality.
Zinfandel was originally regarded as a workhorse grape, but by the 1960s some Californian winemakers were waking up to the fact that some 100-year-old Zinfandel vineyards were producing superlative fruit.
The grape is encountered throughout California, but the top zones are Amador County in the Sierra Foothills and parts of Sonoma County. Excellent Zinfandel is also grown in San Luis Obispo and Napa Valley.
Defining Zinfandel's character is not easy. Some years ago there was a vogue for white Zinfandel - which was not white at all but a semi-sweet "blush" wine. This was a clever way of using up large quantities of Zinfandel unwanted by red-wine buyers, who were obsessed by Cabernet Sauvignon and did not take Zinfandel seriously.
At the other extreme, Zinfandel was used to make port-style wines. In the 1970s, wineries such as Ridge, Calera and Mayacamas made some extraordinary wines, unfortified but with up to 17% alcohol. These are now rare, however.
Zinfandel performs best as a full-flavoured and spicy red wine. It has a generous fruitiness, is less tannic than the Bordeaux varieties and does not keep as well.
And yet, with low yields - especially from non-irrigated mountain vineyards - it can give wines of real power and structure, especially after maturation in Bordeaux barrels. Bunches ripen unevenly, so the grapes need to be picked before they become raisiny if winemakers want to avoid chunky, porty, over-alcoholic wines.
In California today, Zinfandel has become fashionable, thanks to the brilliant quality of wineries such as Ridge, Ravenswood, and Frog's Leap. Unfortunately, prices have risen, as the top wines are much sought after.
A copybook Zinfandel should be richly fruity, but not overripe and jammy. Lighter wines are sometimes aged in American oak, which gives them a glossy vanilla tone, while more serious wines spend up to 18 months in partly new French oak, which contributes tannin and structure.
A wide range of these wines has become available in the UK, so it seemed timely to taste them. They ranged in style from fruity, easy-drinking wines to more serious, oaky wines capable of ageing. Unfortunately, the benchmark Zinfandel - from Ridge Vineyards - was temporarily unavailable and could not be included.
The tasting
Caterer's panel comprised: Pamela Gregory, head of wine and spirits for Conran Restaurants; Yves Sauboua, sommelier at Monte's Club in Sloane Street, London; Erick Beuckuemont, sommelier at the Four Seasons Hotel in London; Patrick Headlam, of John Armit Wines; wine and food writer Stephen Brook; and Fiona Sims, wine editor of Caterer. They blind-tasted 16 wines.
The verdict
Some tasters expressed disappointment, finding that many of the wines lacked intensity, varietal character and concentration. Patrick Headlam remarked: "I was waiting to come across a blockbuster, and it wasn't there."
However, this reflected the range of wines presented. Zinfandel has had difficulty finding a niche in the market precisely because it is hard to know what to expect in a bottle. Our panel found simple quaffing wines on the one hand, and powerful oaky wines on the other. This underlines the importance of tasting a wine before putting it on a wine list, as styles do vary greatly.
"Zinfandel is not Cabernet," Erick Beuckuemont reminded the panel. ‘At the basic level, people associate Zinfandel with fun, fruit, and spice - even though the more serious wines are made in a powerful, masculine style.'
Thus Zinfandel is not always the easiest partner for food. Yves Sauboua thought its spicy, peppery quality would go well with pungent ingredients such as balsamic vinegar or capers, and that the most powerful wines were obvious matches with game. Stephen Brook added that the intense fruitiness of somewines would make them good partners for game or meat with sweetish, fruit-based sauces.
Some of the best wines were not particularly expensive, and have the additional advantage of not requiring extensive cellaring. Zinfandel can usually be broached on release, though it will probably improve with three or four years in bottle. But bottle-ageing is not essential.
Given the high prices of high-quality Cabernet, Merlot, and Pinot Noir from California, it is worth giving serious consideration to the merits and versatility of Zinfandel.
