2009 Vittorio's Secret: A Seductive Red Field Blend

"First, the absolute talk of the town was Vittorio’s Secret, a righteously decadent in its own right Zin blend from old vine Mendocino Zin (63%), Petite Sirah (19%) and Carignane (18%), crafted by Bob Klindt of Claudia Springs. Klindt delights in finding new sources of fruit so he can make his wife, Claudia, bite her nails even further into the quick wondering how they are going to pay to bottle the stuff they already have in barrels. But he could not resist this intensely flavored, lush tasting fruit, from a Redwood Valley vineyard planted over 50 years ago by an Italian immigrant named Vittorio Testa. Bob turned this seductive field blend into a rich, velvet-textured wine that has everything you want in a Zin and then some. Its enormous raspberry aromas tease: the boysenberry, licorice and dark chocolate flavors please. The finish is as long as the list of excuses for not leaving ZAP early. If you can wait for the thing to finish before you actually take the next sip, you will be rewarded with a lovely soft pillow of Peet’s coffee with a hit of caramel syrup. This was among the most memorable, and affordable wines of the day. At $38, it will delight with yet to be revealed secrets for years to come."