Ericka @Chef PickyKid and MeWine on Wednesday Review: Madrona Zinfandel
I grew up in California and went wine tasting in all the wine tasting regions from Napa and Sonoma and Lodi, but by far my favorite places for wine tasting (and wines in general), wereAmador Wineries and El Dorado Wineries. Some of my favorite wines come from El Dorado and Amador wineries, including Lava Cap, Bogle, Bray Vineyard, and Karmere. Many of the wineries at these locations are smaller, family owned and operated wineries, but they produce wonderful wines and the wine tasting experience is wonderful.
My parents recently took a trip to California and went to Madrona, another of my favorite El Dorado Wineries and brought me back a bottle of their 2011 Zinfandel. Zinfandel is normally not my favorite red wine because it tends to have strong oak flavors, but there’s something about El Dorado wines that makes them different and special.
The color of the Madrona Zinfandel was very dark crimson color and had long legs, which is the wine that will cling to the glass when you swirl it in the glass; it almost looks like legs. Long legs on a wine is indicative of a richer, full bodied wine.
Cherry, blackberry and oak were the first scents I detected in the nose of the wine, cherry being the most prominent note. Cherry was also the prominent flavor note as well, but other notes I tasted in the wine included blackberry, oak, and hints of vanilla as well. Initially, this wine had a bit of acidity, but like many other red wines, once it had a little time to breathe (which means exposing it to air), it became smoother, and the rich, full bodied flavor of the wine came through. Initially I didn’t taste the vanilla notes, but after a little time and breathing, the vanilla notes were apparent. This was a somewhat dry wine, which means it leaves a little bit of a pucker in your mouth when you taste it.
Madrona Zinfandel would pair well with pasta with red sauces, or a rich, flavorful beef stew. Steak dishes would also be a great pairing with this wine.
If you prefer richer, full bodied wines with notes of dark berries and hints of oak, Madrona would be a good wine choice for you. I would definitely recommend letting this wine breathe by opening it a little while before you serve it, or if you have a decanter, this would be a great wine to pour into a decanter to give it even more exposure to air.
