LORENZI ESTATE ZINFANDEL

PATRICK'S SCORE: 93

VALUE: Good (8/10)

APPROXIMATE PRICE: over $30, available only at the winery

PAIRING: a big red Bolognese sauce over pasta

PATRICK'S NOTES: Can a California Zinfandel transport you back to its Italian roots? Lorenzi Estate 2013 Zin can! With spice and dark berries on the nose this balanced Zin offers a soft mouthfeel in an atypically less extracted Zin. This luscious wine has big fruit with touches of caramel, espresso, and a spicy finish. Give this wine time to open up—once it hits the glass it takes you on a journey of layered changes.

JAKE'S NOTES: Make no mistake, this is not a Primitivo—it's a complex but classic California Zinfandel, with big spice. Any lover of red Zin will swoon, but there's plenty there for Old World palates as well.