Barbecue Wines
@Bin 604 Wine Sellers

Zinfandel Flight:

1. Trentadue “Old Patch Red” 2002, North Coast $16.99
Trentadue (“32" in Italian) has been making this Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, and Carignan blend for 20+ years and the ‘02 might be the best to date.

2. Hanna Zinfandel “Proprietor Grown” 2002, Alexander Valley $21.99
An unfiltered, full-bodied effort (15.8% alcohol) from an excellent producer who usually flies under the radar screen. Lots of spicy red berries and currant jam.

3. Cosentino “Cigar Zin” Zinfandel 2002, Lodi $24.99
We don’t know what cigars have to do with it (although this powerful wine might just conceal that nasty cigar breath) but this wine packs a wallop and the ability to stand up to almost any level of heat.

4. Rosenblum “Carla’s Vineyard” Zinfandel 2002, Contra Costa $29.99
An old-vine cuvée (some of the vines are 105 years old) from a Contra Costa vineyard. It has aromas and flavors of black cherry, chocolate, currant, and vanilla spice.

Petite Sirah Flight:

5. Bogle Petite Sirah 2002, California $12.99
Our best value in Petite Sirah, a once nearly extinct grape variety, which is making a big-time comeback.

6. David Coffaro Petite Sirah 2002, Dry Creek Valley $24.99
A new guy on the block making serious wines. This unfined and unfiltered Petite Sirah is blended with 20% Zinfandel. It is drinking well now but appears to have the structure for a decade of improvement in the cellar.

7. Trinitas Petite Sirah 2002, Russian River Valley $29.99
This juicy Petite Sirah has wonderful ripeness which allows it to be drunk near-term but it will also continue to develop in the cellar for those able to delay gratification.

8. Elyse Petite Sirah 2002, Rutherford $32.99
Ray Courson has been a true believer in Petite Sirah even when it was nearly impossible to sell. Ditto on this wine’s aging potential.

Syrah/Shiraz Flight:

9. Piping Shrike Shiraz 2003, Barossa Valley $15.99
An example of why Australia Shiraz is so hard to beat. The Piping Shrike has the richness of a much more expensive wine.

10. D’Arenberg “The Footbolt” Shiraz 2001, McLaren Vale $17.99
A candidate for the best under $20 red wine in The Bin. D’Arenberg has a long track record with Shiraz (most notably with their famous “Dead Arm” bottling of which this is a junior version).

11. Justin Syrah 2001, Paso Robles $38.99
Justin has been receiving more and more recognition for their terrific Cabernets and Syrahs, estate grown in Paso Robles. This Syrah is blended with 15% Mourvedre and received 17 months of barrel aging before being bottled unfiltered.

12. Two Hands “Angel’s Share” Shiraz 2003, McLaren Vale $35.99
“Angel’s Share” refers to the not inconsiderable amount of wine that evaporates from oak barrels during maturation. Medieval winemakers assumed that angels watched over the wines, and that they took their share. Two Hands is a new star player on the Shiraz scene