WTN: 2003 Rancho Zabaco Monte Rosso Zinfandel

Sonoma Valley.
Snagged a case for under $18 per and what a wonderful wine. The wine displays richness and intensity of flavour while maintaining elegance. Not a bold in your face Zin that "rocks your world" but a Stevie Nicks type floating across the stage with lace and ruffles yet delivering the intensity that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Beautiful pure fruit, fresh raspberry, raspberry liquor, red berry compote, pepper and hints of vanilla at the finish. Made for a wonderful evening with a good friend visiting and served with baby back ribs, the best BBQ beans you'll ever have, and a sweet onion corn bake.
14.2% Alc/vol.

Drew

Whats the word on Rancho Zabaco Dancing Bull Zinfandel?

It’s a Gallo Brand.

Salute

I find the Sonoma Heritage, Dry Creek Valley, etc. to be better than the Dancing Bull brand.

Whats the word on Rancho Zabaco Dancing Bull Zinfandel?

Peter, as Victor said, Zabaco is a Gallo brand, however I do not find that to be a slam dunk indictment. Gallo makes some good wine, as well as a lot of pedestrian wines, and the Dancing Bull being the entry level Zabaco wine it is more pedestrian than a lot of others. The Heritage vines is a step up, and the single vineyards wines are several steps up IMO. I remember way back when Gallo made their first vintage dated wine (the 1978 Northern Sonoma) cabernet and IMO it was as good as most $20 bottles at the time and better than a lot of them. I went through several cases of that wine at less than $5 per bottle, and I think I probably drank my last around 1990. I also remember when Gallo's Hearty Burgundy (no, it wasn't pinot) was more than a decent quaff for about $2 per 750ml. Those were the days.

Totally agree with you Bob, Gallo produces some decent wines. Carlo Rossi is my go to “top up” wine for my kit wines and concentrate wines that I age in oak barrels. What ever I don’t use as top up my father and I usually drink. Not bad for a jug wine, only $11 to $12 a gallon here.

Salute

Drew, it sounds like you got a really good deal. Both the Monte Rosso and Monte Rosso Toreador are teriffic wines and go for about $40 a bottle around here. I think some of your replies are from people who are thinking of the regular Dancing Bull zin, the entry level version. There's a somewhat rambling article that sorts it all out here: http://www.thewinenews.com/junjul07/cover.asp.

Eric Cinnamon (a Gallo winemaker) producers both Dancing Bull (Rancho Zabaco’s entry level Zin) and all of Rancho Zabaco’s single vineyard Zins.

Salute

There's a somewhat rambling article that sorts it all out here: http://www.thewinenews.com/junjul07/cover.asp.

Thanks Michael, I actually read that article a short time ago and, yes, it rambles. I had not tried the Monte Rosso before, nor seen it in Maryland. I purchased the wine out of state and was very impressed with the purity, depth and silkiness of the fruit. It was one of those "buys" you sometimes stumble upon.

Drew