2003 Rio Seco Vineyard Zinfandel, Paso Robles.
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This Zinfandel is a smoky garnet color with a rusty orange rim and excellent clarity. Medium intensity aromas of smoked bacon diminish with time and air. Light aromas of juicy, brambly berries are followed by a note of dried dill. In the mouth, light caramel, blackberry and strawberry are in backed by mineral and pepper notes. The body is medium with a smooth texture from light, smooth but slightly bitter tannins. The overall full mouth feel is juicy. A modest finish of strawberries and a peppery briar character ends a bit hot. |
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16.5% Alcohol $28.00 Retail (from winery); 247 cases produced |
Austere just after the cork is pulled, this wine needs about an hour of air after slow decanting. This allows it to fully open up. It has a good rustic character that lends itself very well to food pairing. Enjoy with red meats and cheeses two to three more years. BOTTOM LINE: Fairly good. No serious flaws. Worth trying. |
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More Rio Seco reviews More on Paso Robles AVA |
Production | Grapes | Producer | Vineyard | Vintage
Made from 100% estate fruit at 24.7 degrees Brix and fermented in neutral oak.
Zinfandel is THE grape of California. It thrives in warm climates and shows very fruity, jammy raspberry, blackberry, boysenberry, cranberry and black cherry - often with a prickly or briary note. Cinnamon and Licorice may also be expressed. It has come a long way since its usage as the core of California 'jug wines' and some great varietal Zinfandel wines are now being produced with wines made from old vine fruit coming into the limelight of late. (read more)
Rio Seco Vineyards was acquired in 1996 by San Luis Obispo locals Tom and Carol Hinkle. They tend to harvest their grapes at slightly lower sugar levels and utilize natural fermentation (letting the native yeasts on the grapes ferment the juice rather than adding cultured yeasts) and give their wines at least 9-12 months in bottle before release. The wines from their nine year old winery have been producing rustic, wines with consistently improving quality since the 2001 vintage.
31 acres of the 63 acre estate are planted to Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Roussanne, Viognier and Zinfandel. The property is located east of Highway 101 and Paso Robles proper and just south of Highway 46, in the warmer portion of the huge Paso Robles AVA. This location receives some of the cooling marine effect that makes it through the Templeton Gap of the Santa Lucia Mountains. As a result, the vines experience a longer (by several weeks) growing season. Although there are 45 different soil types identified in Paso Robles, they all share the general traits of being moderately deep, slightly alkaline and calcareous with shale underlying sandy loam, limestone, clay, gravel and chalky elements. The moderately deep soils of the Rio Seco Vineyards are a mixture of sandy marine sediment and the calcareous Huerhuero soils (named after the nearby and east of Huerhuero Creek) on gently rolling hills.
The 2002 year saw a large total crop of 3.1 million tons of wine grapes, according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture. A long and dry growing season of mild temperatures gave the fruit extended time to develop complexity and depth. In addition, minimal heat peaks allowed the grapes to develop high acid levels. Paso Robles wines grapes were expected to produce excellent, concentrated and balanced wines.
Rating
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Color |
5 points |
(5 points max) |
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Nose |
2 points |
(5 points max) |
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Palate |
3 points |
(5 points max) |
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Finish |
2 points |
(5 points max) |
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Tannins |
5 points |
(5 points max) |
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Acidity |
4 points |
(5 points max) |
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Alcohol |
4 points |
(5 points max) |
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Aging potential |
2 points |
(5 points max) |
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Overall quality |
7 points |
(10 points max) |
Cumulative Score: 86 Points
Rating System & Scoring Criteria explained
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