Another Night Of Red

Continuing on my recent move back over to red wines, last night I decided to try a bottle of Ravenswood Napa Valley Zinfandel, 2003. This wine is made up of 97% Zinfandel, 3% Carignane and is aged 18 months in 100% French oak. The drinking recommendations are to drink between now and 7 years. I decided to open it now.
I have a love/hate relationship with Zinfandels. Some, I really enjoy, and others I just don't like at all. Most of the time, I enjoy the ones with a lower "spice-profile" than the more spicy ones. Luckily, this one was on the lower spectrum of spicy, so it was good for me. We had my father-in-law and his wife over for dinner, and we decided to make a beef roast which we got at Trader Joe's. It was spice-rubbed and marinaded and I thought the Zin would go well with the meat. The wine has a dark, ruby-red color in the glass with scents of spice and oak. The tastes envoke plums, vanilla, raspberries and cloves. It's got a nice acidity which cut throught the meat flavors. We all enjoyed it, easily finishing off the bottle.

NP: Come On, Come Over, Jaco Pastorius