Escafeld Zinfandel for Homemade Pizza

I was looking through my wine collection to find a Zin or Syrah to go with my homemade BBQ chicken pizza, when I came across the 2003 Escafeld Zinfandel from Monterey and was surpised I hadn’t popped it open yet.  This was another bottle from a Wine Q shipment, running $19.99.  Upon first examining the wine, I first noticed the red fruit–mostly cherry and raspberry–that soon made way for cocoa, chalk, and pepper. The tannins were fairly mild and the prominent alcohol that came through initially began to blow off into a more balanced treat.  The wine also seemed to gain richness in the glass, making it a good dining companion for the big flavors of the pizza. BK liked it, too, and found it akin to certain Paso wines with their calcium-rich soil showing through.

Since I had already noticed the progression in quality, I purposefully forced us to leave some so I could see how the wine would develop the next day. Even though it was hard, I was glad I did.  There were more pronounced spicy notes of cinnamon and nutmeg that I’m normally drawn to.  And since I know other bloggers such as Dr Debs have enjoyed this one, I shouldn’t wait too long to put another bottle in my queue.