Aside from a fun name and the "ribit" printed on their cork, Frog's Leap delivers great wine. Their Zinfandel is one of these: nutmeg, cherry, white pepper and sweet notes of blackberry. I liked the deep color and the tobacco and spice notes, while Mark's notes echoed those of the panel: blackberry and oak, a nose of old spices and a warm, white pepper finish. We sampled this one with a caramelized onion and blue cheese tart with roasted granny smith apples. The match was sublime, with the Frog's Leap Zin adding greatly to the enjoyment.
DAVID: 1/2 glass MARK: 1/2 glass

Newlan has been known for doing Zinfandel well for some time and this vintage shows why. Deep color, a full nose of berry and brambles, nice mouth feel and that good, clean finish … A good wine with panel notes of pepper and tannins with nice fruit. Some thought the wine hard on the edges but Mark noted that this vintage was rough on some vineyards. We snacked on appetizers of scallop, pancetta and spinach on polenta wheels. This not-so-obvious pairing gave our wine a real boost, with the slightly salty pancetta adding nuance to this wine!
DAVID: 1/2 glass MARK: 3/4 glass

From the new Chiles Valley appellation, and oft overlooked by visitors, this Green and Red rendition was a winner! The Chiles Valley (and its hillsides) produces ripe fruit with pepper, cinnamon, clove and nutmeg notes. This wine has the potential to age well and several tasters made note of its tight structure. Mark thought this less ready to drink than I, but we both liked its potential … We matched it with root vegetables and red snapper in a spicy tomato salsa. With food this Zin got great reviews! Mark still says lay a few down for aging; I say just decant it an hour before dinner and enjoy it tonight!
DAVID: 1/2 glass MARK: 3/4 glass

Peter Franus continues his tradition of searching out great vineyards and producing stunning wines. This Zin felt youthful and I liked the toast, Bing cherry, and full tannins. Mark noted the rich nose and felt the pepper notes were on the high side. We both agreed this shall age well. We all sat back and enjoyed this wine set against a brace of game hen with truffled potatoes. As the night progressed we enjoyed it even more and our panel gave high marks to this effort as a great food wine.
DAVID: 3/4 glass MARK: 3/4 glass

1999 Chateau Potelle "VGS" ($55)

One cannot review this wine without commenting on the label. Suffice it to say "VGS" is a term reserved for those duly proud of their "stuff" and salty enough to say so. This Very Good Stuff (actually not exactly what the initials stand for) is indeed that: Very good! A knockout nose with blackberry, cedar, plums and jam, the wine is a deep purple in the glass, exploding with flavor once sipped. The panel enjoyed this wine and notes of balanced tannins; well-blended acid and a bright finish were on many cards, with Ashley noting, "the bottle is cool." Which, we must agree, it is. Mark and I came to full agreement on this one: GET IT! With Chris' braised lamb shank "mutha" on saffron rice, we had a great meal! This is some "VGS"… no understatement here.
DAVID: full glass MARK: full glass

For Raymond, this marks a great return engagement: their first Zinfandel in some time, and in their reserve designation … And what a way to come back! Fruity and soft, this was a refined Zin that felt fun to drink. Mark was more taken with this wine. He noted the soft tannins, the zesty body and overall felt that it was well balanced. I also liked this wine quite a bit, but had a greater expectation from the "Reserve" designation. As nice as it is the finish was just too soft and delicate for me. The panel was more in agreement with Mark and there is no doubt that this wine does deserve attention. With wild mushroom risotto and Spanish mackerel the wine gained a nice roundness that fit the roasted fish perfectly.
DAVID: 3/4 glass MARK: 1/2 glass

Frank Rombauer has set this wine under two family names and it is a great wine indeed. The nose is all about what a true Valley Zin can hold: fruits and leather, pepper and spice. At 14.9% alcohol it has the hot and zippy mouth feel that has come to mark wines under this imprint. Mark caught more wood notes (cedar and oak) than I, but we both got hit with the big body this Zin holds! Against our barbecued oysters, mussels, sausages and onions you could not ask for a better pairing. The wine finished nicely and we especially liked the hint of cloves.
DAVID: 3/4 glass MARK: 1/2 glass

A note on the ratings:

Not really worth getting a glass dirty. Insipid, uninspired or poorly-made.

A wine with the most basic of qualities, one that would not merit much more than passing attention.

A good drinking wine, one that is fine for casual events and simple pleasures.

Very nice wine, worth the price and great for any occasion.

Top rank. Great varietal characteristics, knock-out qualities (often with a knock-out price).