Medium ruby, not completely clear, thin pink edges and lightly staining. Minuscule Zinfandel fruit cloaked wretchedly behind overwhelming KMBS, and under that a long search finds cat feces, freezer-burnt haricot-vert and Payless Shoe Source. Burnt rubber and tarmac dominate late-air, fruit running rotten and uninteresting.
In the mouth, it runs as thin as it looks–and reads–across the palate, bright spicy plum tinged in more burnt rubber, wet chalkboard, non-chewable aspirin and late-night restaurant floor-mopping.
Now, every reader of mine knows my attraction to light, unfiltered, earthy wines without over-reaching fruit concentration and especially Zinfandels which do not succumb to the prune-jar disease afflicting most–especially with this baby listed at a mere 14-5. This is not a horrible wine, it’s just hard to get past the sulphite.
Decanted HARD, fruit cleans up nicely, although it is hard to separate the still-visible KMBS from what *could* be generous minerality. Thinnish old-vine concentration folds easily into soft tannins.
2014 BELLA LUNA Fighter Pilot Red Zinfandel Bailey Ranch Paso Robles 14.5
Stephen McConnell 