Varietal:Â 98% Zinfandel; 1.5% Carignane; .5% Petite Sirah
Region:Â California, USA
Cost:Â $18
Winemaker’s Notes:Â “In Liar’s Dice Zinfande, we’ve created our most passionate wine – one that’s so sweet and juicy, it’ll leave you wanting more. Our 2008 vintage is a combination of both Dry Creek and Alexander Valley fruit. The Dry Creek grapes contribute black raspberry and currants. The Alexander Valley fruit imparts rich flavors of black cherry and blackberry jam. Soft tannins perfectly balance the sweetness of the fruit.” Pairs well with grilled meats including ribs, burgers, pulled pork or any other type of BBQ.
My Review:Â Ever since Murphy-Goode had the opening for their “Dream Job” a few years back, I’ve been interested to try some of their wines, but just haven’t gotten around to it. This past Friday that all finally changed, as I was in the mood for a Zinfandel to go with a steak that I was throwing on the grill that night – I tend to cook a lot of steak when my wife goes out of town. I really shouldn’t have waited so long to grab this wine.
It was lighter in the glass than I was expecting, and in fact when I first poured it out and saw how light it was my first thought was that there was something wrong with the wine. Nothing could have been further from the truth. On both the nose and in the mouth I got loads of dark fruit and jammy is really the only word to describe the feel of the wine in my mouth.
The tannins were, as advertised, soft beyond anything I would have guessed. With my steak it was the perfect pairing, and one I plan to indulge in again (and soon). I regret that it’s taken me so long to finally try out some Murphy-Goode wines, but it’s definitely got me intrigued to try some of their others.
If you’ve never tried this wine, I recommend picking up a bottle, and if you can’t find it near you, just follow this link and you can have it shipped to you.
