Rational Wine

A Life Through The Lens Of Wine

  • Home
  • New? Start Here
  • About Me
  • Philosophy
  • Words To Live By
  • Archives
  • Gallery
  • The Essentials
  • Rational Wine Note
  • The 7 Key Wine Concepts (FREE BOOK)
  • Wine Consultations

Rational Wine Review #13 – Murphy-Goode ‘Liar’s Dice’ Zinfandel 2009

By Mark Law 3 Comments

Murphy-Goode 'Liar's Dice' Zinfandel 2009

Download Notes

Download Now!

The keen wine enthusiast will know that Zinfandel is the same as Primitivo, which is produced in the warmer region of Puglia (the “heel”) in southern Italy. However this varietal has a strong presence in California, and even the casual wine enthusiast will be aware of California’s reputation in the wine world, with countless references to large personalities and cult producers. So I was very curious to try out this Zinfandel, which has made a home in California and is offered in many expressions.

The Stats

Take Your Own Notes!

Appearance

  • Clarity: Clear
  • Intensity: Medium
  • Colour: Ruby

Nose

  • Condition: Clean
  • Intensity: Medium
  • Development: Developing

Palate

  • Sweetness: Dry
  • Acidity: High
  • Tannin: Medium
  • Alcohol: Medium+
  • Body: Medium+
  • Flavor Intensity: Medium+
  • Finish: Medium+

Conclusions

  • Quality: Very Good
  • Readiness/Cellaring: Can drink now, potential to cellar
  • Identity: USA / Sonoma County / Zinfandel
  • Price: High-priced (~$25)

Notes

  • Long, thin tears
  • 15.5% Alc
  • Aromas of sour cherries, confectionery, dust/must, stewed dark fruits
  • Flavours of confectionery, dark chocolate, clove, cherries
  • Smooth, velvety tannins
  • Just a touch of residual sugar
  • Food match – Lamb with rosemary
Do you like candy?

Do you like candy?

Elaboration

Lacking experience with this varietal, I had expected this wine to be Cabernet-like, but it showed a juicier and riper character more similar to Syrah. The main defining feature is that the Zinfandel is more confectionery in its profile, and lacked the pepper Syrah typically has.

I can understand how Zinfandel has carved out a large piece of the American market – bold, juicy, dry, with just a touch of residual sugar, it’s a display of power that does not come across as confrontational. It is also available as “White Zinfandel”, a Rosé-style that seems to enjoy even more popularity than its full-bodied counterpart. A neophyte will be able to appreciate the range of this wine’s expression without being put-off.

Despite spending 4-5 years under cork this wine was still surprisingly youthful, with lots of juicy, primary fruit characters building up in the glass. I had to take a second look at the cork and confirmed it was in fact a diam cork. This is an artificial closure made from natural material that has been broken down, treated to remove cork taint, and reconstructed into the shape of a regular cork. Such closures have undergone numerous improvements and the level of oxygen permeability through the cork can actually be controlled. I suspect the winemaker chose a cork with lower permeability to retain the wine’s freshness.

I had originally selected this bottle with the intention of exploring more mature and developing characters, but this fresh and approachable wine was perfectly fine for this Easter holiday season, and with cork closures it is always better to err on the side of too young rather than too old. If this experience has taught me anything, it is to keep a closer eye on different closures in the future.

Read more: Rational Wine Review #1 – Reillys Old Bush Vine Grenache Shiraz 2009

Related Posts

  • Review #45 – Schloss Vollrads Spätlese Riesling 2009Review #45 – Schloss Vollrads Spätlese Riesling 2009
  • Review #38 – Royal Tokaji 5 Puttonyos Aszú 2009Review #38 – Royal Tokaji 5 Puttonyos Aszú 2009
  • Things To Consider When Cellaring WinesThings To Consider When Cellaring Wines
  • Review #23 – Christian Moueix Merlot 2010Review #23 – Christian Moueix Merlot 2010

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • WhatsApp
  • Reddit
  • More
  • Email
  • Tumblr
  • Pocket
  • Telegram
  • Pinterest
  • Skype
  • Print

Related

April 22, 2014 Filed Under: Wine Reviews

Subscribe via Email

Subscribe to Rational Wine and receive weekly reviews, articles, opinions and more!

Get My FREE Book

3D_7KWC_Reduced

Buy A Consultation

ConsultWineTemplate

Follow Rational Wine

  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Follow me on Twitter

My Tweets

Topics

  • Blog Announcements (21)
  • Day In The Life (35)
  • Impromptu Pairings (1)
  • The Essentials (8)
  • Thinking Sober (53)
  • Uncategorized (3)
  • Wine Experiments (5)
  • Wine Regions (9)
  • Wine Reviews (55)

Buy A Consultation

ConsultWineTemplate

Recent Posts

  • My experience of the Advanced Wine Assessment Course
  • Reflections on 2020
  • 2012 Campo Viejo Rioja Gran Reserva (or, How To Read A Wine Label)
  • New Video: Wine Vintages
  • New Video: Red Wine Grapes

Recent Comments

  • My experience of the Advanced Wine Assessment Course on Advanced Sommelier Exam – Second Attempt
  • Reflections on 2020 on Advanced Sommelier Exam – Second Attempt
  • Reflections on 2020 on Reflections on 2019
  • Reflections on 2020 on Will Sommeliers Go Out Of Fashion?
  • Reflections on 2020 on Hello, My Name Is Mark Law DipWSET

Copyright Rational Wine © 2013–2023 · Rational Wine · Consult Wine · The 7 Key Wine Concepts · Contact

 

Loading Comments...