United States of Wine

Foxglove – Zinfandel – Paso Robles – 2020

Purchased: The Wine Source

Price: $19.99

The last time I had a zinfandel, it was back in my Sutter Homes days in college. Let’s say it left a unpleasant impression, as all sugary wine-types of that era did.

But 20-year-old memories left me partially hesitant to try Foxglove’s 2020 Zinfandel from the Paso Robles area of Central California. So I stared at this bottle for quite a while before being brave enough to open it.

The amount of crystallization on the cork impressed me, letting me know this bottle of wine was well-cared for in its five years. It opened to a deep red color that shined in the light.

I looked back at the bottle and saw something I hadn’t seen in a bottle before: sediment in the neck. The sediment felt like sand in my fingertips, which I find as normal for the bottom of a bottle, not at the start.

As I pour a small amount of the wine into my glass, the rust red color reminded me of dried blood. But as I bring my glass up to the light, I notice something. First, I need to dry my wine glasses better, as water spots get on my nerves and makes for crappy photos. Second, there was something in the wine. More sediment. Interesting.

Sediment is harmless, so I carried on.

Taking a big whiff from my water spot-stained glass (seriously, I couldn’t let it go), I got scents of red jam. It was a very fruit-forward smell. In the back, I was able to pick up hints of leather and dirt.

Immediate sips tasted sharp and a little of iron. But after an hour of breathing, the wine opened up significantly.

This zinfandel turned into a light, soft, buttery feel with pronounced red fruit. What started as a taste of strawberry eventually gave me hints of watermelon.

With its low tannins, there was a slight sweetness up front, but didn’t have a lot of depth. the longer it was opened, the sweeter it became, but never even close to being offensive. In fact, the sugar added lent to the red fruit flavor.

I was so pleasantly surprised by this wine that I wouldn’t hesitate to buy another bottle. I would also recommend pairing it with a spicy cheese, like the hatch chile gouda we tried. They played off each other magically.

Score: 8.0/10