A good Zin

Last night we were having burgers and I though, what else goes with burgers than zinfandel. We have been getting Papapietro Perry Zins as part of our club shipment for the last few years and I had tried one shortly after we got it a couple of years ago and was not blown away. I got to thinking though that since the Pinots benefit from extra time in the bottle, perhaps the Zins also need an extra year. I selected a 2005 Elsbree vineyard. We popped the cork and were delighted. It had loads of fresh fruit flavors and hints of zesty spice. There is nice prickly black raspberry, that finishes with a pleasant tingle on the tongue. This is a Zin that benefits from some breathing time, with complexity which builds with several hours of air time. If you have patience the rewards will be great. In fact it would not hurt to open the bottle 24 hours before consumption and vacuvin the bottle. Just that introduction of oxygen to the wine allows it to develop beautifully. The Zins of Papapietro are certainly up to the quality of their Pinot Noirs.