The wine is rustically spicy, peppery and briary, with sandpapery tannins, but hey, it’s Zinfandel, not Cabernet, and it’s a really good one. Dry and brawny, it shows rich wild berry, tobacco, tabasco and carob flavors, and will pair well with game, beef tamales or mushu pork.——S.H.(11/1/2008)—— 90

Although there’s lots to like in this Zin, it’s just too sweet. On the plus side are rich, complex flavors of cherry pie, raspberry tart, cassis, cocoa and mushu plum sauce, accented by peppery spices and a bit of wood. Also nice are the dense but ripe tannins. But then there’s that sugary, brownie taste that’s inappropriate in a table wine.——S.H.(10/1/2007)—— 84

There’s a rusticity here that’s partly a function of Zin’s wild, brambly nature, and partly due to a raisiny sweet finish. On the plus side is a rich, round mouthfeel and delicious cherry, cranberry and mocha fruit and spice. The September harvest heat wave must have been a huge challenge, even for talented grapegrowers such as the Duttons. ——S.H.(10/1/2006)—— 85