2006 Miner Zinfandel

Miner Family Vineyards is one of my favorite Napa boutique   wineries. At least I consider them boutique because they are not high volume and I certainly can’t get their excellent vintages on the shelf in upstate NY.  However, they do ship to most parts of the country which means I get to enjoy fine wines like this 2006 Zinfandel.

I find myself becoming more interested in zinfandels and have found the quality of the grape and winemaker varies widely. I had an ‘05 Zin from a different winery last night that was nothing like the Miner Zin.

If you are fortunate enough to get your hands on a bottle and pour yourself a glass the first thing you’ll notice is a rich, garnet-colored promise of a well-crafted wine. I noted hints of plums, dark cherry and chocolate with a slight peppery finish. What I enjoy the most about this wine is the smoky, almost velvet like finish that wraps around your tongue.  It simply makes you want to close your eyes and sigh deeply, forgetting everything save this luscious fruit.

I have a number of other Miner vintages (among others) in my cellar and I’ll be sharing my tasting notes over the next several months.