2005 Vineyard 29 Zinfandel Aida

Zinfandel is still made, and there are slightly fewer than 500 cases of the Aida Zinfandel, which is a blockbuster, with both the 2005 and 2006 coming in just short of 16% natural alcohol. Both are 86-90% Zinfandel and the rest Petite Sirah. The 2005, a challenging and somewhat uninspiring vintage for Zinfandel, is a success for the year. Spicy notes of pepper, earth, strawberries, herbs, and sweet cherries jump from the glass of this wine, which has excellent texture and ripeness in a medium to full-bodied style. It is best drunk over the next 3-4 years. The impressive talents of viticulturalist David Abreu and winemaker/consultant Philippe Melka have turned Vineyard 29, owned by Chuck and Anne McMinn, into a bright new star of Napa. There are essentially two levels of wine here, the estate wines, which come from the Aida Vineyard and Vineyard 29, and of course their negociant wines, which are represented by the 3,000 or so cases of their Napa Cabernet Sauvignon called Cru. Previously recommended: 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Vineyard 29 Estate (95), 2004 Cru Proprietary Red (90). Tel. (707) 963-9292; Fax (707) 963-7848