Montevina Sierra Foothills Zinfandel

Price: $7
Maker: Montevina Winery, Plymouth, Amador County, California
Varietal: Zinfandel
Packaging: 750 ml bottle, natural cork
Alcohol: 14.2%
Our Rating: 8.5 out of 10

The winery presents Montevina Sierra Foothills Zinfandel 2003 as a fun, informal wine, describing it as a “perfect complement to everyday celebrations like balanced checkbooks, successfully parked cars, and Wednesday evenings.” (Don’t forget to complete the parking job and exit the car before starting the celebration!) This Zin has a beautiful ruby red color, and a nose with raspberries and licorice. The flavor is nicely structured, with pleasant red berry notes and a long-lasting finish with chewy tannins. A bit more complexity would make this Zin even more attractive, but the structure and fruitiness make for a very pleasant experience.

You might enjoy visiting the Montevina website - it’s a bit heavy on animation and short on content, but worth a look.

This isn’t the most spectacular Zin we’ve tasted, but for under $10 we’d rate it a nice bargain.