Ravenswood 2007 Napa Valley Old Vines Zinfandel – Where’s The Beef?

As is sat down to review the 2007 Napa Valley Ravenswood Zinfandel I did so knowing I would likely receive a good amount of flack from a number of folks who swear by this budget wine. I was so sure of the potential for hate mail that I had two other people taste the wine with me to make sure we were giving a fair shake to the Sonoma vintner’s latest Old Vines bottling. And, I am sorry to say, the verdict was unanimous.

The 2007Napa Valley line (it is important to know which Ravenswood you’re tasting, as this winery has more than a dozen different Zinfandel lines from Lodi, Sonoma, Napa Valley and Amador) is sourced almost entirely from Zinfandel, with a very small blend of 3% Carignane.

While entirely drinkable, the wine’s failing is best summed up in what it is missing rather than what it offers. And in a word, what its missing is flavor. One of my fellow vino sippers summed it up best when he said “there is a filter somewhere out there that sucked out the last 30% of flavor from this wine.”

To be fair, the wine is perfectly drinkable, and in fact, the surprising lack of flavor will lend well to accompanying a powerfully flavorful cheese, or accommodate, without overwhelming, a spice filled meal. At the end of the day however, the 2007 Napa Valley is just too boring, and too expensive at $9-$11 a bottle to deserve a place in your shopping cart. There are far more exciting and flavorful wines awaiting you in the budget wine isle. Let the hate mail begin…

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