Young red zinfandel is good choice for cookout

Red zinfandels come in two categories: the big, intense monsters that require aging to be at their best, and zinfandels that are drinkable the day you buy them.

You can tell the difference by the price.

This column reviews less expensive zinfandels, which can have strong appeal immediately.

California is the home and heart of zinfandel grape production. Lesser grapes are made into the popular, semi-sweet white zinfandel while the best grapes are saved for the red.

The red has flavors of raspberries, blackberries, pepper and spice with considerable alcohol content.

Zinfandels can accompany a variety of foods, from hamburgers and pizza to hearty pastas and beef. Like many cabernet sauvignons, zinfandel can have plenty of tannins, those chemicals in grapes that give wine character and structure over time. Too many tannins can make the wine taste astringent at times, but fatty foods can tame tannins to a drinkable extent.

I asked the wine-tasting group to compare zinfandels sold for under $15. Here is what we found:

- 2000 Rosenblum Oakley Vineyard Zinfandel at $14.99. This wine had a rich and fruity aroma with raisin, jammy blackberries and a hint of pepper. The raisin and pepper were strong on the end. My tasters characterized this wine as "a zin lover's zinfandel" because of its true adherence to zinfandel's traditional characteristics. It finished third in the tasting.

- 2000 Van Ruiten-Taylor Reserve Old Vine Zinfandel at $14.99. We found raspberry, clove and other spices in this aroma. In the mouth, it had a rich taste. It only had a medium body but it was luscious, with hints of chocolate. "It's like being hit with a velvet hammer," said one taster. This wine was a clear favorite of my group.

- 2000 Talus Zinfandel at $7.99. The panel did not know the price of this wine when we tasted it. They described the aroma as having impressions of raisin, cherry, cream soda and figs. Compared to the others, it was a more subdued style, a kind of "introductory zin." A bit of pepper flashed at the end. When we unveiled the wine and its price, my group gushed that this was a great value. I would be proud to have it with my hamburger at this price.

- 2000 Clos du Bois Zinfandel at $14.99. This wine had a pretty nose, with cedar and cinnamon. The wine was still "angular," winespeak for a wine that leaves a tart impression because it is still young and not as soft and supple as it could be. My group thought that this wine would improve substantially in another six months. It ranked second in our tasting.

- 2001 Rancho Zabaco Heritage Vines Zinfandel at $13.99. The bottle brought to our tasting had gone bad. One member of my group and I tasted a second bottle later and found it to be rich and luscious. The fruit was jammy, with black cherries and blackberries. It rose to a big finish.

Questions can be sent to Frank Sutherland, editor, The Tennessean, 1100 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37203 or e-mailed to editor