Last week I barbecued some chicken, and as is my custom for barbecue, a Zinfandel was chosen to accompany it. The 2004 Eastern Exposures was one of 2 bottles of Storybook I had remaining from the short time that my friend Loudoun and I were on their mailing list. While we had both experienced some uneven quality in previous bottles (we think one shipment got some heat damage), this bottle showed no such effects. From the opening, it was a full-on Zin with plenty of fruit and spice on the nose and on the palate. The finish was bit shorter than some top Turleys I've had, but still very good.
Finishing the bottle 2 nights later, nothing had really changed, and if anything the wine was even a bit smoother. I was really impressed with this bottle, and if Storybook can consistently deliver this type of quality, I wouldn't mind getting back on their list at some point. For now though, I've got plenty of Zin on hand thanks to Turley, so I'll probably hold off for now. Storybook's wines can be found in many stores though, so for anyone looking for a high-quality Zinfandel, I'd recommend them as a producer to seek out if you're willing to jump up a little in price (usually $30+).
2 comments:
This post reminded me that we recently had a bottle of Gamba Old Vines reserve Zinfandel, Russian River Valley, 2000, acquired while on our honeymoon in 2002. Big and glorious! And we're delighted to report that we have another bottle. We look forward to your series on Greek wines, too!!
I visited the Storybook winery in northern Napa in fall of 2006 after both reading and hearing good things about their wines. The entrance to the vineyards and winery is a big but unimposing iron gate off the side of the road which both hints at, but also belies, the storybook setting of the estate. I highly recommend a visit to anyone looking for a more authentic Napa experience.
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