Review: Rosenblum Snow's Lake Zinfandel 2004 [Mac McCarthy]

My rating: 96 out of 100

This is one of the biggest, boldest of Rosenblum's big, bold Zinfandels, and from a relatively new source for the winery. (2004 was the first vintage from Snows Lake for Rosenblum).

Tasted in April 2008, this wine was rated best of 17 Rosenblum wines tasted that evening by 18 members of the SF East Bay California tasting group The Pompous Twits. The 2004 Rockpile Road Zinfandel (Rosenblum's biggest Zin of all) was initially ranked best, but the Snows Lake, it turns out, opened up while we were drinking it; and at the suggestion of member Tom TIlley, we retasted it half an hour later--and it indeed had opened up quite a bit and now edge out the Rockpile.

Compared to the Rockpile, it was as big and jammy and dense and intense, and as high in alcohol (16%+), but it had a subtlety and nuance that put it in front -- I know subtlety and nuance aren't terms commonly used with big-style Zins, which made this a wonderful surprise.

Tilley suggests that this wine still have some aging to do. We have among us 5 bottles, so we will taste a bottle each spring for the next few years to see how it develops!

This wine cost just under $30 when bought by the case as a futures; current vintages list at $35. See www.rosenblumcellars.com.