OUT OF THE GATE

The 2019 Zinfandels are ready to drink now, delivering ripe fruit in an elegant package

- TIM FISH

California Zinfandel is rarely more fun to drink than what the 2019 vintage delivers. Pleasure, let's face it, is part of Zin's appeal. This is not a wine that requires navel-gazing. Having reviewed Zin for Wine Spectator for 16 years, I see 2019 as that rare vintage that achieves harmony and balance. The 2019s can't be defined with the standard buzzwords. They're fruit-forward but not fruit bombs. They're ripe but not overwhelmed by alcohol. They're briary but not rustic. The best versions have a complexity that's easy to overlook because they're so easy to drink.

That's my takeaway after reviewing more than 200 Zinfandels in blind tastings at our Napa office since my previous report ("On the Bright Side," June 30, 2021), the majority of them from 2019. More than three-quarters of the 2019s received outstanding scores of 90 points or higher on Wine Spectator's 100-point scale-an unprecedented showing for Zin, and I say that as the lead taster for the category since the 2004 vintage. Based on these numbers, I give the vintage an overall rating of 95 points in Sonoma and 93 points in Napa. Only a handful of producers have released their 2020s at this point, and since the vintage was marked by wildfires, I hesitate to provide even a preliminary score until I taste more examples.

Perhaps the best news about 2019 is that the wines are generally enjoyable across the board, no matter the region, producer, or price point. From perennial values by classic producers such as Pedroncelli to stalwarts such as Dry Creek Vineyard and fan favorite Turley, the vintage has something for every Zin lover.