Weekly Wine Review - Red Zinfandel - 2009 Chateau Potelle VGS Zinfandel

It had been too long since we imbibed in a bit of Famous Dave's BBQ, so we let Dave do the cooking - and we brought the goods home to enjoy with a Red Zinfandel from Chateau Potelle.   A little spendy for a week day treat - but we had just found out that a sufficient number of people had signed up for a Chateau Potelle event in September where we get to blend our own wine - so it was a mini-celebration!
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 My Famous Dave's feast consisted of St. Louis style ribs and a hot link.

Wine: 2009 Chateau Potelle VGS Zinfandel

Region: Napa Valley
Grape Varieties: Zinfandel

Obtained from: Purchased from Chateau Potelle Wine Club

Price: $52.00 (Wine Club Price)

Wino4Life Category: Weekend Wine

Aeration before tasting: Just a swirl or two, no special aeration.

Cork Condition: Natural cork - no defects or issues.

Appearance: Wine is clear. Dark purple in color at the core with a water white rim.

Aroma: Nice and fruity with black cherry and raspberry aromas, along with some black pepper and other spices.

Taste: Still a bit tannic, could use some more aging time - but delicious and complex, and the fruit forward nature went well with the BBQ sauce.  Dave's "Devil's Spit" BBQ sauce was too spicy, and clashed with the alcohol level of the wine, but the same is true with most red wines I've tried with that hotter sauce (Devil's Spit it is great with beer though!)

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The Grade: I give this one an A-. A great wine for a special occasion. The tannins were a bit harsh, but will likely mellow with age. There are definitely Zinfandels out there available at a better price, but Chateau Potelle is one of our overall favorite wineries, so they get special attention!