Loweeel wrote:I have both in the vinum series, in which the Syrah glass is much different from the Zin glass (almost white-wine small). The shape is not too dissimilar, but the Syrah is about twice the volume of the Zin.

Given the alcohol, RS and harvest Brix of some Zins, I recommend that Sir picks up a set of these.

andyduncan wrote:Given the alcohol, RS and harvest Brix of some Zins, I recommend that Sir picks up a set of these.

Haha, good stuff.

It sounds like with the smaller glass (the actual Zin glass, not the port glasses) they're trying to ameliorate the deficiencies of flawed wine. How do you keep excessive alcohol and raisined fruit aromas from obliterating someone's nose? Give the wine less surface area, I'd hypothesize.

Current numbers (updated each minute)
First sucker: bkarney
Speed to first woot: 0m 6.063s
Last wooter to woot: tkastorff

WD, thank you.

Last two weeks of Zins has been great, looking forward to giving them all a taste! Keep'em coming

Sure would like another crack at the woot-off Harvey Zin magnum...

Oh FedEx, why can't you find my house when UPS can?

Well, at least I can go pick it up in Durham. Thank god they're open late!

fairnymph wrote:Oh FedEx, why can't you find my house when UPS can?

Well, at least I can go pick it up in Durham. Thank god they're open late!

Maybe it's because UPS delivers more often.

Holy Trinitas!

So, as you may or may not know, I was the "chosen" labrat for the Old Vine zin. So let me start off like this: I'm pretty sure Jesus (The Son) would've drank this wine.

The nose on the bottle was faint but fruity. It was slighty earthy but heavenly. And this is no joke, the nose definitely has the scent of Rosemary.

The color is solid with a slight brown tint.

The initial taste, after about 10 minutes of air (I couldn't wait) I tasted mainly (Fatherly) tobacco, blackberry, and cocoa. It's weird for me when the description on the bottle actually matches what I taste but this time it was spot on. It is extremely well-balanced, no choking on the heat like many big zins out there.

The finish was bright (Spirited?) and clean.

I'll post again after the wine has some more time to open up.

UPDATE: So, the bottle has opened up a little bit. The fruit of this wine has really come forward, so much so that the balance I like in a zin has become a little off. The cocoa taste is gone but the tobacco and blackberry are still strong. The finish is still bright and long.
It pairs well with pizza but probably would be best with some BBQ. Drinking this, I am reminded of Bodegas Lan Rioja Reserva but I have no idea why.

I probably should add that I also received one of the almond chocolate Olympic Granola Bars, which is the side deal. It is absolutely the best granola bar I've ever had. Seriously. Do I need to rat for this as well? I taste chocolate and almonds and ... :-) I'm leaving this post to go buy a few.

I go out of town and I miss a Scott Harvey woot. Now I come back, and it's more Zin. Wow. Gotta read some reviews, but I think I'm in.

Edit: Okay, in. What a sucker. I need to find a neighbor to receive this, though, since Mrs. Routerhead isn't working at home any more.

joshaw wrote:Holy Trinitas!

So, as you may or may not know, I was the "chosen" labrat for the Old Vine zin. So let me start off like this: I'm pretty sure Jesus (The Son) would've drank this wine.

The nose on the bottle was faint but fruity. It was slighty earthy but heavenly. And this is no joke, the nose definitely has the scent of Rosemary.

The color is solid with a slight brown tint.

The initial taste, after about 10 minutes of air (I couldn't wait) I tasted mainly (Fatherly) tobacco, blackberry, and cocoa. It's weird for me when the description on the bottle actually matches what I taste but this time it was spot on. It is extremely well-balanced, no choking on the heat like many big zins out there.

The finish was bright (Spirited?) and clean.

I'll post again after the wine has some more time to open up.

"It's weird for me when the description on the bottle actually matches what I taste..."

This is something my wife and I have commented on before with Trinitas wines. We will taste first then a second time and discuss what we each taste then go to the bottle to see what they say is there, more often than not it is very close to or the same as what we are tasting. We have never experienced being "knocked over" by a Trinitas wine. I am not saying that every wine of theirs is our favorite but we really do enjoy the majority of their wines.

I've been lucky enough to enjoy Trinitas on a few occasions thanks to a few friends who favor the brand. I've enjoyed their zins a few times, and the earlier posters are right on about their excellent petite sirah. Unfortunately, I'm currently a (very) poor college student, but I'm looking forward to purchasing Trinitas (and other wine.woot offerings) in the near future. Hope to see their products listed again soon.

dmbennett wrote:Well, that does it for me. I'm in for 2! I really wanted to go for 3, but I really can't continue buying as much wine as I have lately. Wine.Woot is going to drive me to the poor house!

HEE HEE HEE!

bill2401 wrote:Hello All,
I don't get on this site all that often but I do see my Uncle Scott on here quite a bit. Today while I was trying to pull him away from the land of woot I noticed that the deal right now was Trinitas. I know Scott has not tried these wines yet but I have luckily been introduced to them recently. Kevin is an extremely good wine maker and these wines are absolutely fantastic! If you are looking for a good complex wine that won't blow you out of the water with high alcohols and high pH's don't miss out on this deal.
Bill
Scott Harvey Wines

Thanks, Bill. I was trying to resist, but with you and your uncle both offering encouragement, resistance is futile.

beautyofmachines wrote:Waiting for the Labrats on this one. Unfortunately I just blew my monthly wine allowance on the inZINerator, but I am tempted to go for this one too....kinda inhales sharply and creates suction being a broke college student

Yikes, times have changed. We scraped together nickles, dimes, & quarters to buy our Boonesfarm headache wine and now we pay off our childrens student loans! We never had the ability to Woot! Great choice on Scott's Zin...and great to see you using your smarts by staying within your budget. Hit the books now and someday you'll have a great cellar of Woot wine!

joshaw wrote:Holy Trinitas!

So, as you may or may not know, I was the "chosen" labrat for the Old Vine zin. So let me start off like this: I'm pretty sure Jesus (The Son) would've drank this wine.

:snip:

Wow--great report; thanks!

EDIT: Gaaah, trying to decide whether to go in; I'm under a partial SIWBM (to be relaxed for things like GunBun, Wellington, Scott Harvey--which I missed last week)....

Ratting the 2005 Mataro

5:30 PM
---------------
Very excited when I opened the box to find the 2005 Mataro. I'm a Cotes-du-Rhone fan so I couldn't wait to get started. Alas, family life prevented me from plunging head first into the bottle. I would have to wait.

7 PM
----------------
Dinner over, kids out of the bath and pleasantly sedated by Monster House on the television. Time to start the party. I popped the cork, poured a bit in a glass and the rest in the decanter.

Color - Very clear, very even, ruby color extends all the way to the edge.

Sniff - Dark stone fruit, some heat to the nose.

Sip - Yep, dark cherry & plum, vanilla, and alcohol heat are there first. Tannins are silky (not soft; present, but well blended with the rest of the flavors). Some spice (pepper?) but it's not quite obvious. Nice long finish 30-40 seconds. Definitely drinkable now after some time in the decanter to open up.

Time to get the kids ready for bed.

8 PM
--------------
OK kids in bed finally. Let's see how the Mataro party's coming along. I invite my buddy Ryan over to add some insight.

Sniff - still just a bit of heat, fruit aromas more complex now. Some pepper to the nose.

Sip - There may not be enough m's in Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Still just a bit of heat, but it has mostly subsided. Complex flavors at this party: dark cherry has been joined by some berries and vanilla; the herbs have shown up (and we all know how the party really gets started when the herbs arrive) - I'm getting some basil and a little violet; pepper was hiding in the corner at first, but she's dancing on the tables now (and we can barely make out the leather thong she's wearing).

Summary 9 PM
-------------------
So if Jesus (The Son) would drink the Old Vine Zin, I think Mary would prefer the Mataro. I really, really like this wine. It's a very complex profile compared to the wines I can usually afford to drink, spending very rarely over $15 a bottle. If you like Cotes-du-Rhone, you'll love this wine.

Now, to be clear, this is not a 'Big Red' wine. Ryan's first comment was "Hmmm...I expected it to be bolder." Ryan likes his wines to take advantage of his grandmother while pouring sugar into his gas tank. He likes them big, ladies and gentlemen. He can appreciate the 2005 Mataro for its complexity, but it wouldn't be the first wine he pulled out of the cellar.

Oh, and one final note. I have to agree with others that the winery's description is pretty spot on. The only taste that is mentioned that I didn't get was chocolate.

thrawn1020 wrote:Maybe it's because UPS delivers more often.

That is definitely true!

Typing up labrat report now. :D

I received the 2004 Zinfandel Bigalow Vineyard, which I allowed to rest and reach proper drinking temperature in my wine cellar for about an hour before opening it for mopsie2002, my landlord, and his wife. The lighting is terrible in my living room so apologies for the image quality.





My notes:

Deep burgundy-plum colour; nearly opaque. Some noticeable legs - thin, but they coat the glass for ages!

Nose is gorgeous - very expressive (as it turns out, I like the nose better than the actual taste in this case). Dark fruit (Bing cherry, blackberry), earth, tobacco, spice. Complex, rich, and alluring.

On the palate it's much tarter than the nose suggested; very sour indeed, especially for a CA Zinfandel. Medium-bodied, but rather light (almost 'refreshing') in mouthfeel, probably due to the high acidity; to me it feels lighter-bodied than the typical Zin, and especially considering the depth of hue. Some good but smooth tannins pucker the mouth without too much bite. I get some sour cherry predominantly fruit-wise, but this is not a particularly fruity wine, certainly NOT a fruit-bomb, and I don't get as much fruit on the palate as I did on the nose.

Finish is medium and a touch rough, showing loads of tobacco and unidentifiable spice. On the whole, this doesn't strike me as Zin-like; in a blind tasting, I would be inclined to guess Chianti (really!). It has the sort of thinner, high acid taste yet still pretty bold and decently structured feel that Chiantis have. I sliced up some goat cheddar to get an idea of how this might pair with food, and as I suspected it went nicely; I imagine this would be great with pasta, such as a red sauce.

I enjoyed drinking it and I didn't feel that it was at all hot, despite the high alcohol content; it's very smooth and goes down nicely. But I'll be honest that I prefer a more jammy, bolder style Zin. I was definitely surprised by the characteristics this wine exhibited.

mopsie2002's notes:

Nose - Soft, fruity, appealing scent. Something I can't quite place, fruity tobacco maybe? Maybe a bit flowery. Very mild and expressive.

Taste - Hits the tongue smooth but there's a bit of a bite when you swallow, kind of bitter in the back of the throat (finish). Rich and smoth, tart, acidic on tongue. Much less full-bodied than color would seem to indicate. Leaves a tingle on lips after a while. Second glass tastes more clear and pointed (refreshing).

landlord's notes:

Smells good. Nice legs. Color is nice. Goes down well and has a smooth taste.

landlord's wife's notes:

Beautiful color. I like it and would drink more.

Everyone reached for the bottle repeatedly, so its drinkability was definitely high. My landlord is not a big wine drinker and seemed impressed, while his wife, who drinks a fair bit of wine but is no expert, drank the most of all of us.

Awesome ratting all around this week!

OK, I was already on-the-fence-and-leaning-towards-the-shiny-gold-button ... having completely spaced on a shot at the InZINerator, (that's what I get for going out to dinner during a (Wine-)Woot-off) and then having three other offers that I couldn't get here in O-hi-o.

But the excellent labrattitude sealed the deal, and indeed pushed my mouse in the direction of the "I Want 3" button.

(Now, if I can just figure out where to stash nine more bottles ...)

agreed with Kitty. Excellent ratting.


Does WD have a record of defrauding us with lousy juice to put in our lovely decanters and various types of stemware?

No.

Stop asking questions. Start buying.

fairnymph wrote:I received the 2004 Zinfandel Bigalow Vineyard, which I allowed to rest and reach proper drinking temperature in my wine cellar for about an hour before opening it for mopsie2002, my landlord, and his wife. The lighting is terrible in my living room so apologies for the image quality.





My notes:

Deep burgundy-plum colour; nearly opaque. Some noticeable legs - thin, but they coat the glass for ages!

Nose is gorgeous - very expressive (as it turns out, I like the nose better than the actual taste in this case). Dark fruit (Bing cherry, blackberry), earth, tobacco, spice. Complex, rich, and alluring.

On the palate it's much tarter than the nose suggested; very sour indeed, especially for a CA Zinfandel. Medium-bodied, but rather light (almost 'refreshing') in mouthfeel, probably due to the high acidity; to me it feels lighter-bodied than the typical Zin, and especially considering the depth of hue. Some good but smooth tannins pucker the mouth without too much bite. I get some sour cherry predominantly fruit-wise, but this is not a particularly fruity wine, certainly NOT a fruit-bomb, and I don't get as much fruit on the palate as I did on the nose.

Finish is medium and a touch rough, showing loads of tobacco and unidentifiable spice. On the whole, this doesn't strike me as Zin-like; in a blind tasting, I would be inclined to guess Chianti (really!). It has the sort of thinner, high acid taste yet still pretty bold and decently structured feel that Chiantis have. I sliced up some goat cheddar to get an idea of how this might pair with food, and as I suspected it went nicely; I imagine this would be great with pasta, such as a red sauce.

I enjoyed drinking it and I didn't feel that it was at all hot, despite the high alcohol content; it's very smooth and goes down nicely. But I'll be honest that I prefer a more jammy, bolder style Zin. I was definitely surprised by the characteristics this wine exhibited.

mopsie2002's notes:

Nose - Soft, fruity, appealing scent. Something I can't quite place, fruity tobacco maybe? Maybe a bit flowery. Very mild and expressive.

Taste - Hits the tongue smooth but there's a bit of a bite when you swallow, kind of bitter in the back of the throat (finish). Rich and smoth, tart, acidic on tongue. Much less full-bodied than color would seem to indicate. Leaves a tingle on lips after a while. Second glass tastes more clear and pointed (refreshing).

landlord's notes:

Smells good. Nice legs. Color is nice. Goes down well and has a smooth taste.

landlord's wife's notes:

Beautiful color. I like it and would drink more.

Everyone reached for the bottle repeatedly, so its drinkability was definitely high. My landlord is not a big wine drinker and seemed impressed, while his wife, who drinks a fair bit of wine but is no expert, drank the most of all of us.

Wow thanks everyone for the notes. Drink up! If ya'll are ever in Napa come by and we'll do some barrel tasting.

fairnymph wrote:

Butcher block and Costco wine glasses? Makes me feel like you ratted right in my own home... Great job!

MaskedMarvel wrote:Butcher block and Costco wine glasses? Makes me feel like you ratted right in my own home... Great job!

You should have come over! Hey, I still have like...2/3 of a glass left. :P

And they're IKEA glasses, thanks to cheron for the suggestion. I am VERY CLUMSY and break a ridiculous number of glasses/mugs, especially if I'm drinking, so it's silly for me to have expensive glassware. I sobbed for about 30 minutes after I broke one of my nice glasses, so now I don't use them unless it's really worth the risk.

I do love that table, though it needs refinishing. And it was great to meet mopsie2002. Now if only the rest of the NC folk would get their act together...

Great labrats this week- wish I could be in for one, just can't swing it this month.

Okay, the rats have convinced me.

Trinitas Trio
Current numbers (updated each minute)
First sucker: bkarney
Speed to first woot: 0m 6.063s
Last wooter to woot: bardolator

Biggest issue I have is that if I miss the UPS guy (which I do 90% of the time, as he delivers between 1 and 2 and I'm a teacher), I have to drive 40 miles roundtrip to the distribution center. :P Really wish we were able to choose between UPS and FedEx....

fairnymph wrote:
I do love that table, though it needs refinishing. And it was great to meet mopsie2002. Now if only the rest of the NC folk would get their act together...

Have been planning a wine party in my head for months now. Perhaps I need to go ahead and pull the trigger. I live pretty close to the RBC Center. (I've run into Rod Brind A'mour at my local Harris Teeter a couple of times.) Maybe he likes Zin?

caufield wrote:Ratting the 2005 Mataro

5:30 PM
---------------
Very excited when I opened the box to find the 2005 Mataro. I'm a Cotes-du-Rhone fan so I couldn't wait to get started. Alas, family life prevented me from plunging head first into the bottle. I would have to wait.

7 PM
----------------
Dinner over, kids out of the bath and pleasantly sedated by Monster House on the television. Time to start the party. I popped the cork, poured a bit in a glass and the rest in the decanter.

Color - Very clear, very even, ruby color extends all the way to the edge.

Sniff - Dark stone fruit, some heat to the nose.

Sip - Yep, dark cherry & plum, vanilla, and alcohol heat are there first. Tannins are silky (not soft; present, but well blended with the rest of the flavors). Some spice (pepper?) but it's not quite obvious. Nice long finish 30-40 seconds. Definitely drinkable now after some time in the decanter to open up.

Time to get the kids ready for bed.

8 PM
--------------
OK kids in bed finally. Let's see how the Mataro party's coming along. I invite my buddy Ryan over to add some insight.

Sniff - still just a bit of heat, fruit aromas more complex now. Some pepper to the nose.

Sip - There may not be enough m's in Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Still just a bit of heat, but it has mostly subsided. Complex flavors at this party: dark cherry has been joined by some berries and vanilla; the herbs have shown up (and we all know how the party really gets started when the herbs arrive) - I'm getting some basil and a little violet; pepper was hiding in the corner at first, but she's dancing on the tables now (and we can barely make out the leather thong she's wearing).

Summary 9 PM
-------------------
So if Jesus (The Son) would drink the Old Vine Zin, I think Mary would prefer the Mataro. I really, really like this wine. It's a very complex profile compared to the wines I can usually afford to drink, spending very rarely over $15 a bottle. If you like Cotes-du-Rhone, you'll love this wine.

Now, to be clear, this is not a 'Big Red' wine. Ryan's first comment was "Hmmm...I expected it to be bolder." Ryan likes his wines to take advantage of his grandmother while pouring sugar into his gas tank. He likes them big, ladies and gentlemen. He can appreciate the 2005 Mataro for its complexity, but it wouldn't be the first wine he pulled out of the cellar.

Oh, and one final note. I have to agree with others that the winery's description is pretty spot on. The only taste that is mentioned that I didn't get was chocolate.

didn't do it right the first time, but all I wanted to say was _ I've been pushed!!

thanks ratters - my wife and I aren't huge zin drinkers mainly because when buying red we often don't even consider it but after the rat notes and enjoying a bottle of the JanKris last night we're in

billmort wrote:Have been planning a wine party in my head for months now. Perhaps I need to go ahead and pull the trigger. I live pretty close to the RBC Center. (I've run into Rod Brind A'mour at my local Harris Teeter a couple of times.) Maybe he likes Zin?

Be sure to tell him that he's Martin Brodeur's grumble and/or bemoan fate.

Rats have been packed.

I have to say, rarely have I read labrat reports that were so tempting. All three of these reports make me this offer sound really exciting.

aliengar0 wrote:thanks ratters - my wife and I aren't huge zin drinkers mainly because when buying red we often don't even consider it but after the rat notes and enjoying a bottle of the JanKris last night we're in

I also got my JanKris order and opened the Merlot last night. My wife and I both thought it was horrible, couldn't even finish the glass =( I'm pretty inexperienced when it comes to wine, but I would almost bet there was something wrong with it. I hear about some wine being "corked" but I'm not sure what that really is. I just know it was extremely bitter tasting. It sort of tasted like prunes that had gone sour. The bad aftertaste lingered for more than 10 minutes till I had something to eat.

Here's to hoping the next bottle will be better!

fairnymph wrote:I received the 2004 Zinfandel Bigalow Vineyard, which I allowed to rest and reach proper drinking temperature in my wine cellar for about an hour before opening it for mopsie2002, my landlord, and his wife. The lighting is terrible in my living room so apologies for the image quality.

Yes, it's too bad there isn't a lamps.woot.com! Or maybe you could get the landlord to install some lighting if you continue to invite him over for wine tastings...

tomaste wrote:I also got my JanKris order and opened the Merlot last night. My wife and I both thought it was horrible, couldn't even finish the glass =( I'm pretty inexperienced when it comes to wine, but I would almost bet there was something wrong with it. I hear about some wine being "corked" but I'm not sure what that really is. I just know it was extremely bitter tasting. It sort of tasted like prunes that had gone sour. The bad aftertaste lingered for more than 10 minutes till I had something to eat.

Here's to hoping the next bottle will be better!

That sounds like something that should be reported to service@woot.com for an adjustment.

Excellent Rattage, thanks.
In fact, I love Zins (Earthquake
is my all-time fave), and we're
going to taste some zins on Saturday...
including a Turley!!! However, the
fine lab rats convinced me to not
hit the button this time.
Further info. needed...well, I did
buy a case of Turnbull 2005 cab. this
week to share with a couple of friends,
so my funds have pretty much already
turned into liquid assets.
Those of you who do buy...Enjoy!

nice/helpful lab reports and appreciated the winery participation (totally disagree with a prior point about too much winery participation-that's one of the unique benefits of woot and most people can separate useful/insightful information from pure marketing).

just had the pedroncelli mother clone zin this week and was very impressed,especially from a QPR standpoint. almost as good as the chateau souverain zin-which is stellar (still one bottle left for the summer). if the trinitas zin follows suit, it should represent a good value for an expressive/traditional zin.

I'm really tempted after those rat reports! I'm trying to decide if DH will notice all the extra wine that seems to be showing up these days. He does like a good Zin. I think I'm in!

Kev and I are still around if you have any questions....

tomaste wrote:I'm pretty inexperienced when it comes to wine, but I would almost bet there was something wrong with it. I hear about some wine being "corked" but I'm not sure what that really is. I just know it was extremely bitter tasting. It sort of tasted like prunes that had gone sour. The bad aftertaste lingered for more than 10 minutes till I had something to eat.

Probably not corked. Being corked means that the cork infected the wine with TCA, which would give it a damp cardboard, moldy basement smell. But that doesn't usually affect the flavor of the wine once you get past the aroma.

Could be a bacterial problem with the wine. Maybe you can get Woot to send a replacement, but when you're dealing with a wine under $10 from a winery doing a firesale, an "off" bottle out of every few is probably par for the course. Edit: This is part of the reason I commented in the JanKris thread that low price doesn't always mean good QPR.

Quick hijack:
Come celebrate the Cyberpub's Anniversary with us this Friday night! It's going to be at least as much fun as the last impromptu gathering, FF&F.

*SIDE DEAL REVIEW*

I ate some of the other goodie I received in my box today - an Olympic Granola bar (Turtle Mocha flavour) from the side deal. It's quite substantial; hearty and filling, as reflected by the significant caloric content (nearly 400 cals). I'd bet this would be great for hikes, after a long run, or even on plane/car trips.

Texture is excellent; moist and chewy with large chunks of nuts and whole oats. The mocha flavour is complex; it tastes almost like there's finely ground coffee in this, and the subtle coconut flakes and just-right sweetness round things out.

The sunflower seeds aren't as prominent taste-wise as I'd expected, melding quite well with the other flavours. It's a high quality product that's tasty and nutritious, but I still can't see myself shelling out over $2/bar.

tomaste wrote:I also got my JanKris order and opened the Merlot last night. My wife and I both thought it was horrible, couldn't even finish the glass =( I'm pretty inexperienced when it comes to wine, but I would almost bet there was something wrong with it. I hear about some wine being "corked" but I'm not sure what that really is. I just know it was extremely bitter tasting. It sort of tasted like prunes that had gone sour. The bad aftertaste lingered for more than 10 minutes till I had something to eat.

Here's to hoping the next bottle will be better!

Since this is a zin deal - I was referring to the zin from JanKris