"This song, again?!? Really??"
I honestly couldn't look at this bottle without singing... "Prooo-vare... Oooh, oh!"
It’s officially the summer of 2019 and I’ve managed to find a Zinfandel from 2016 in my stash...which is nice!!
I think the last bottle of Marchesi I had was a proprietary red from Sonoma that I found extraordinary...so this was something I was looking forward to.
~David Marchesi Provare California Zinfandel, 2016
The Review: 4/5
The color is a stunning ruby (almost lipstick) red with just a hint of plum or sangria along the edges.
As soon as I poured the first drop, all I could smell was a hearty, blackberry jam. The kind a grandmother makes, not store bought stuff. To me that’s a fantastic sign it will have some excellent fruit, while the age of the wine says it will also have a smidge of maturity under its belt. Again, nice!
After a few minutes the blackberry begins to lean to cherry with a the help of some of burly purple grapes. It feels weird and obvious to point out the grape taste at times, but some wines truly embody the essence of the fruit from which they came.
I’m not getting much wood off the nose but there is a lovely cellar wall essence (a bit later, with a much smaller amount of wine in my glass, the freshly cut timber began to show through, almost the scent of a warm saw blade after cutting a dozen pieces of lumber). There’s also touch of leather and a distant peppery rub on a piece of red meat that hasn’t hit the grill yet.
The flavor erupts with the jamminess from earlier along with the cherry and a bit of spice, but not too much. The acidity seems to be fairly low (at first anyway) and although it’s a few years old it still feels like it’s on the younger side of the spectrum. Perhaps more breathing is in order. I wouldn’t be upset if I was able to tuck a couple of these away for a year or two and see what Father Time has to say about this Cali Zinfandel.
After a purposeful pause, I came back to this Zin and found a much more tame beast. Still a beast though. It’s a notch more sultry and silky, with the wood and age showing their cards a bit more. Much of the fruit has melded into an ink-tastic berry blend that has some serious weight to it, like a lead blanket across the palate. It almost tastes like a slight concentration or reduction of the wine I started with. There is just the tiniest bit of sweetness that floats on top of all that fruit, then the meaty, fermented goodness rounds it all out.
Provare means “to taste; to try” (or so it says on the back label) which is fitting because this feels like a very well rounded and drinkable Zinfandel for all to try and taste, and likely enjoy. The price is killer as well! You don't find wine this good at this price often.
I actually cracked this open during a bright, sunny day, which is not how I typically operate with big California reds, but the level of fruit and the general tastiness of this wine really provides you with a much broader spectrum of enjoyability that goes far beyond needing to be paired with some BBQ ribs or a pork tenderloin. Don’t get me wrong, I want both of those things right now, but they aren’t necessary to enjoy this wine, even during a warm day.
Now I'm hungry and thirsty all over again!
Cheers!!
Winemaker Response:
"Thanks for the lovely review Erik! I'm really happy to hear you enjoyed this wine. Now I'm hungry and thirsty, too! Cheers, DM"
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