I have never been a huge fan of the in-yo-face jamminess of Zinfandel, but once in a while, a really lush Zin, one that balances that fruitiness with spice (or something else) really catches me by the palate. Robert Rue is a small producer that won tons of raves for its 2004 Wood Road bottling. Having tasted the wine, I can easily see why.

If you’re looking for a different Zin, look no further. The raspberry/cherry core is there, but its rounded out by plenty of exciting secondary notes to keep you going back to the bottle to discover more. Black pepper, spices (allspice?), leather, tobacco… you don’t often find notes like this outside of $75 Cabernet. But it still has that classic Zinfandel heat, keeping it lighter and appropriate for a wide range of dining options.

At $32, the Zin isn’t a bad deal. I found it for just $24 at a wine shop in Healdsburg. Now I’m wishing I’d picked up a case.

A / $32

2004 Robert Rue Vineyard Zinfandel Wood Road Reserve

$32

9.5

Rating

9.5/10

About Post Author

Christopher Null

Christopher Null is the founder and editor in chief of Drinkhacker. A veteran writer and journalist, he also operates Null Media, a bespoke content creation company.

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