Jeff Runquist – Z Zinfandel (Massoni Ranch Vineyard) 2016 (750ml)

The 2021 wine has a ruby purple color of significant depth with hues that are a bright, almost florescent, garnet. The Massoni Ranch produces wines with aromas loaded with classic Zinfandel fruit; black raspberry, dark cherry and boysenberry, and the 2020 vintage is no exception. The clean focused fruit reminds me of walking past a blackberry briar at the peak of maturity. Aging this wine in small oak barrels provides it with a bouquet of toast, vanilla, and caramel. Flavors of red raspberry, currants and toasty oak are delivered by a wine with a creamy luscious texture. Our goal is for the wine to have a rich satisfying viscosity without harsh drying tannins, and the 2020 Z is one of our best efforts in this regard. In the finish, juicy red fruits linger well along with a pleasant background of oak. This is my favorite wine to accompany lamb dishes, but will enhance other red meats as well as Mediterranean cuisine.