Wine Of The Week - 2005 Old Moon Zinfandel

The wine has an amazing Zin nose of raspberries and spice with hints of vanilla, tobacco, pine and eucalyptus. The aromas virtually jump out of the glass at you - an amazing feat for a six dollar bottle of wine. Entry into the mouth is smooth and creamy and even though it is a big wine with 14.5% alcohol, there is no hairiness to this wine. The wine is simple, but balanced with a slightly sweet finish. This wine is sort of a big version of two buck chuck or Yellowtail. The back label alleges that it is made from thirty five plus year old vines. The label says "California", but my guess is that the grapes are from the Lodi/Modesto area. California has it's own lake of wine, too - that's where two buck chuck comes from. In any event, this is a phenomenal bargain at Trader Joe's (about $6).