The Omnivorous Fish

Rosenblum Eagle Point Zin

The wine: Eagle Point Vineyard Zinfandel 2003

The winery: Rosenblum Cellars

The store: Turkey Creek Wines and Spirits, Knoxville, TN

The price: $26.99

The color: opaque black cherry, deep garnet rim

The nose: black fruit, earth, cherries, cola, hints of smoke

The taste: Very tight, tannins would benefit from extended aeration (say 1 hour or more); plums, cassis, cloves; hints of leather and cherries

The finish: acidic, but not unpleasantly so; slight sour pucker, not unlike that from cheese

The verdict: It’s another excellent, site-driven zin from the best winery ever in an industrial park. Kidding aside, Rosenblum consistently makes transcendent zinfandels that echo their soil and soul. And for what you get, you can’t beat the price. Someday, when I have someplace to put it, I would love to cellar one of these powerful zins and come to my own conclusions about it. Ridge’s website kind of makes me pine for the idea.

The food: Belgioioso extra sharp provolone. They perhaps make the best cheeses you’re going to find in a supermarket in Greenville, SC. I bought some grapes, too, but they’re pretty thick-skinned, therefore tannic, and I don’t think it’s going to work out.

I won’t drink it all tonight, so we’ll see how it opens up tomorrow. I expect it to be fruitier and soften the tannins a little. The label says “this wine shows stunning bright blackberry fruit….” We’ll see.